CUSTOM FURNITURE STYLES
Jim works in a variety of Custom Furniture Styles. Here the furniture is organized into seven of the most popular categories. More than half his orders are for one-of-a-kind items and Jim is happy to work with you to design something slightly or radically different. Call 603-252-1904 or email [email protected] to discuss your particular needs. More, obviously amateur, photos of custom furniture are shown on the “amateur photos” page; click to take a look!
This one of the custom furniture styles, Ming Shaker Line, began when a friend asked for some nesting tables. The resulting design had simple straight tapered legs and an over/under quarter-round detail (Asian in nature) where the top meets the base. When Jim presented a set of these tables to the League of N.H. Craftsmen as part of the jurying process one of the judges proclaimed them “Ming Shaker” in style. The name stuck and the details have been used over and over as I built what started as one custom furniture project into a small “line” of furniture.
Windsor Furniture is inspired by Windsor Chairs and the unifying detail of all these furniture items are spindles. Windsor chairs all have spindles. This construction makes the chairs light, strong, and elastic. My contemporary Windsor chair, bench, and stool designs show aspects of traditional Windsor Chairs. Other influences include Shaker furniture design and Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers where I began my furniture making career.
The Mission Furniture items pictured are all Jim’s designs, based on period pieces but not reproductions. Jim did once precisely reproduce a Frank Lloyd Wright chair for a customer who brought in an original to copy. It is not possible to post a picture of the chair due to copyright issues nor is it easy make another. Making the jigs necessary for the project occupied most of a month and the customer insisted on taking the jigs as part of the order. He didn’t want others to have what he went to great lengths to have reproduced.
The American Reproduction Furniture photos include exact period reproductions as well as some of my more contemporary interpretations.
Thomas Chippendale originated the Chippendale style and was, perhaps, the first furniture maker to publish a book of his designs that became popular (both the book and the designs). His designs are his interpretations of what was popular at the time as well as what he thought might become more popular in the future. Again the items I present are both reproductions and interpretations.
The Biedermeier Furniture section of the site is the smallest consisting of one photo, however the project was a substantial one: a 9 1/2 foot by 5 foot oval table. The customer had seen my tiny ad in the New Yorker and saved it. She wanted a large dining table to compliment the Biedermeier Sideboard that she had bought. We corresponded for most of a year before settling on this design. I made quite a few other items for the same house and one bed for another house, but somehow all those amateur photos have been lost.
A funny fact (?!) is that she did have a furniture maker prior to me who had been doing good work for her. She lost his services after sharing his name with a friend who nearly drove the furniture maker crazy. Consequently, I never got any referral work from her.
Ming Shaker Furniture
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Windsor Furniture
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Shaker Meetinghouse Bench: This reproduction was made to go in a church vestry. Built in cherry the dimensions are: 60"L x 33"H x 19"D Price - $ 3,500
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Mission Furniture
American Reproduction Furniture
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This particular piece was designed to be built in, but by changing the design and price a bit I could do something similar as a freestanding room divider. The hutch is pictured in cherry.
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Sleigh bed, Seven Drawer Low Chest, Lingerie Chest and two small Three Drawer Chests used as Nightstands
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Chippendale Style Furniture
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Biedermeier Furniture
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Modern Shaker Furniture
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