furniture

  • Todd Exter

    Extertenon

    Todd Exter is one more of the finite but large number of tremendously competent and creative cabinetmakers living and working in Vermont. He is primarily self-taught, and in light of that his technical skill is especially impressive; his use of grain and his mortise-and-tenon work is artful and subtle, just as it should be. Working in a variety of woods, mostly local maples, Exter has made a niche for himself by integrating traditional Craftsman forms with contemporary style and the smooth, clean uninterrupted lines of the Vermont Shaker tradition.

  • John Struble

    StrubletansuThe Japanese influence has been tremendously important to the evolution of the Craftsman aesthetic, and is a central part of some of the West Coast craftsman styles. It’s hard to imagine Greene & Greene furniture, for example, stripped of the cloud lifts, bat forms and various other Asian imagery and decoration that the brothers integrated into so many aspects of their work.

    John Struble, a woodworker based in Philadelphia, has been integrating design elements he has seen on his trips to China and Japan into his own work for over 20 years. His case pieces – step and other types of tansu (chest) – integrate traditionally North American materials like curly and birdeye maple into very traditionally Japanese and Korean forms, with a surprisingly contemporary result. Struble shows his work every year at the Philadelphia Furniture and Furnishings Show.

  • Affordable Craftsman Furniture

    Amazonbar
    Many people keep asking me to write about affordable (what a subjective term!) Craftsman-style furniture. Anything made by a craftsman with excellent materials won’t be cheap – it can’t be. And I hesitate to call some of the reproductions out there, made of fruit woods and veneers “Craftsman,” even if they look it – that’s an insult to the great craftspeople who today are creating pieces that will be passed down for generations. BUT! There are pieces out there that you can afford. With the aesthetic (if not the spirit) of the A&C movement in mind, let me suggest a few options.

  • built-in cabinetry & interior architecture

    Oakcabinetdoor
    Creative and technically adept cabinetmakers used to be the norm, and they still exist, albeit in small numbers compared the the number of new homes being built every year. Unfortunately, we see this craft becoming more and more the sole purview of kitchen design firms and very high-end contractors who specialize only in kitchen and bath work. Most homes are not made by the same sorts of craftspeople who built our old bungalows; they’re assembled from pieces made in factories all over the world. There are, however, a number of fine woodworkers specializing in casework and other forms of built-in furniture for all parts of the home and various other types of interior architecture working across the North America today, and I’ve spent a little bit of time reading up on a few who have their work up on the web to peruse.

    This list is, of course, very incomplete and totally subjective; please feel free to append other listings in the comments, below.

  • wanted: dresser

    I need a good, solid Craftsman bedroom dresser. Wide and not too tall, maybe a 8 drawer (4 and 4) or 9 drawer (3/3/3) design, without a lot of decoration. Any suggestions for a well-made piece for under $1500?