Trad Furniture Companies. If you were to purchase brand new investment quality furniture these days what brands would you choose. Hinkle Harris seems to be the only remaining maker of solid Cherry for Trads and Century seems to be the only remaining firm for the more contemporary Trads.
Trad Furniture Companies
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Beat me to it. In full disclosure, I went to Shaker High School, Upstate NY.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaker_furniture
If you live in the South or Mid-Atlantic, E.A. Clore (https://clore.furniture) has been making solid hardwood furniture in Virginia since the early 19th century, and it's still run by the Clore family out of the original factory. They make a lot of furniture for boarding schools and universities in Virginia; UVA has a bunch of it, among others. All of the native wood (cherry, walnut, oak, etc.) is cut from growth within a couple hours' drive of the factory, and all the furniture is made-to-order. I ordered a cherry dresser recently and I'm really looking forward to picking it up.
Although I grew up in a home full of Kittinger and Henkel Harris and then appointed my own home in like manner, about fifteen years ago we shifted to a much more casual look, a mixture of a few Pottery Barn pieces like the Manhattan leather sofa and some slouchy slip covered chairs. In the den there is the blessed comfort of Ekornes stressless for watching television. Most of the wood is dark, and the big dining table has a very irregular hand hewn top, yet the overall feel of the home is still very Trad, thanks to old oriental rugs, good art in good frames, and the nic-nacs, including a fair amount of old blue and white Canton China and brass candlesticks from Williamsburg. I liked the nods to Thos. Moser and Chilton.
Appointed?
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^
You've not heard of a well appointed room, as in furnished?
You and I are both from Maine. C'mon, you're making us look bad.
You've not heard of a well appointed room, as in furnished?
You and I are both from Maine. C'mon, you're making us look bad.
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Hmmm, so much to learn. Now come to find out Trad is all parts of life. Does handed down heirlooms count?
If so, here is an example I'm a mutt. Mix of heavy, dark antique furnishing mixed with lighter Modern and contemporary, plus a dash of artwork and objet d'art.
How about second hand? Do they still craft furniture as did before mass production?
If so, here is an example I'm a mutt. Mix of heavy, dark antique furnishing mixed with lighter Modern and contemporary, plus a dash of artwork and objet d'art.
How about second hand? Do they still craft furniture as did before mass production?
Certainly less hoity-toity.
IMHO handed down heirlooms, antiques, and the like count very much. Sounds as if you have eclectic and interesting digs. I'm also a fan of second hand furniture. For some of the very nicest stuff that is pretty much the only way to get it now.
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Traditional values can be applied to any area, Trad is a specific sartorial aesthetic. There are those that don't appreciate these kinds of threads, what is a trad car, trad home, dare I mention trad girlfriend. It can approach fetishized levels.
I responded to this one because, as I mentioned, I grew up next to a Shaker community and learned to appreciate the look and function of Shaker furniture. I own a 1940s bungalow style home and while it is a stretch to call it a restoration, I am trying to stick to the style as I strip it down and then repair it.
Travel down the "Trad is all parts of life" lightly.
It's not "all parts of life". Trad is a clothing fashion, and that's about it. Antiques? Rooms to Go? Equally fine.
Furniture is such a terrible value now that I have my furniture custom made; that way I know it's not full of cardboard and so forth.
I have a lot of antiques which are, in fact, family heirlooms (and which can be pretty oppressive, to be honest), and I round it out with stuff I have made; a good furniture maker (they're out there) is as great a treasure as a good tailor, a good mechanic, and a good upholsterer.
But as to your question, even the "high end" mass market furniture companies (like Kittenger) mostly turn out garbage nowadays - so no, "they" don't craft furniture as they did before mass production.
Find a furniture craftsman (local).
DH
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Yes, eclectic is a good descriptive word. My Grandmother was a world traveler (tagged along with Grandfather on his business trips to oversee plumbing design (including one of Egypt's palaces in the '50s or '60s, sadly found out after their passing) and investment properties. I have Saudi and Palestinian, Japanese (including an almost eight foot high and about 12 foot long lacquered screen with ivory carved and painted faces, cut stones, and shell which sadly with her cancer making her cold turned up the heat so about half the pieces came loose, one shattered though because went through every few days and rescued any loose), and American. It was all apprised at her passing and worth nothing. Might have seen the artwork about five by three feet, I paid the estate $100 for that and still haven't stopped laughing, frame alone worth more than that. Most of the antique furniture was my Great grandmother's, eventually will also inherit my Great Great parents secretarial desk. I also have Great Grandmother's spinet organ which my Grandmother, her daughter, had upholstered the seat in a brighter harvest gold velour (yellow her favorite colour). Also fortunate to inharet BettyAnn's wedding china and her parent's wedding silver (BettyAnn's silver was way too gaudy for my taste).
Add to it some things of Oma's (including a spinet piano which was painted avocado by the previous owners also in the living room) and my own. I am caretaker of a rosewood Danish modern table with extensions and heat pads for 12 places and six matching chairs. Sadly doubt ever use to the full potential as had planned. Plus, an upright Telefunken console, a Körting horizontal console, and two Jensen cabinet speakers saved from the trash (I love listening to classical music, getting started on classical jazz, and oldies, either through the radio or LPs). So why mentioned second hand as only the shelving is new, can't stand the fake wood junk.
Originally, was a pure modernist and barely any furniture, then had to recognize too stark and glad to be custodian of the family. I still donate every Spring, don't want to be a hoarder and have too much, one still needs breathing room.
Oh I was being half joking, of course anything can be taken too far.Aren't we having fun with taking Trad and applying to other areas?
Nice! Would call that a respectful refreshing and updating. I do have a wallpaper book showing Craftsman wallpapers saved for inspiring someone on their Craftsman, was going in the trash.
Shaker is very in keeping, as you know, Craftsman/Bungalow was Romanticism, getting back to the hand made and true craftsmanship. A reaction to the excessiveness of the Victorian, especially the Bungalow.
My Dad is a carpenter, though self taught and not as refined as some. He even made furniture out of flat cardboard, folded and cemented, which is almost as sturdy. He advanced to wood bookcases seeing wasn't saving time as planned. He was the one that pointed out what I said, adding he could do better than Ethan Allen with the space and tools. Guess he was right.
I too have made furniture, starting when 12, inspired by Norm Abram. I know never get anywhere close, though if I was to have the space and tools, could knock out a few things. What I am really wanting right now is a cutting table/tailor's bench. Got the plans, though lack the funds (designed to use pocket screws). Other than that, nothing wanting, just a few pieces of furniture needing refinishing including a solid wood executive desk missing the pencil drawer I bought for $35 and need to figure out, install a keyboard tray. On the desk, figuring since can't go through the window again, hold off on refinishing as has to come apart to move. If I really want a challenge, have a a three drawer chest needing a new top I rescued from the dump (used in the garage).
Not sure any custom furniture makers out here, looked when the sewing tables were smashed in the accident and found none. I would think more plentiful on the coats, especially the Eastern.
Oops, I been typing for 45 minutes, way past time to get off here, hopefully okay, trying to get better.
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The true "trad" never needs to buy new furnishings. They inherit several houses full!
Cheers,
BSR
Cheers,
BSR
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I find this older is better ethic to be a bit false in my experience. I have a few items passed down from my Grandparents but the majority of what I own has come from Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware. Yes it would be nice to only shop at Herman Miller but with a few other expensive obsessions already, that is unrealistic.
The Parisian Cornice wall unit from RH in my living room is made from welded steel and machined solid wood. It will last many lifetimes. Our "Vintage French" dining chairs are much better built then any of my friends early 20th century antiques and at least as attractive.
We also have a Townsend coffee table from Pottery Barn that appears to be incredible quality and should last another 100 years and suits our needs very nicely.
An Italian Leather sofa we bought from Pier One a decade and a half ago is just getting broken in and should look great for another 20 years or so. We sit in it everyday we are home.
We also have 2 Adirondack chairs made from recycled plastic that are at least 10 years old now, they sit outside in the elements all year round and still look brand new. Just give them a scrub a few times a year.
I think it is important not to buy reproductions or copies but there are a lot of things you can buy new that aren't throwaways.
The Parisian Cornice wall unit from RH in my living room is made from welded steel and machined solid wood. It will last many lifetimes. Our "Vintage French" dining chairs are much better built then any of my friends early 20th century antiques and at least as attractive.
We also have a Townsend coffee table from Pottery Barn that appears to be incredible quality and should last another 100 years and suits our needs very nicely.
An Italian Leather sofa we bought from Pier One a decade and a half ago is just getting broken in and should look great for another 20 years or so. We sit in it everyday we are home.
We also have 2 Adirondack chairs made from recycled plastic that are at least 10 years old now, they sit outside in the elements all year round and still look brand new. Just give them a scrub a few times a year.
I think it is important not to buy reproductions or copies but there are a lot of things you can buy new that aren't throwaways.
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Can you make an Adirondack chair from plastic, yes, should you?
Again, as I mentioned about Mynaskiration I'd Shaker, I also grew up near and was often in the Adirondacks. Traditional, functional furniture at its best, flat surfaces, inclined just right, made from enough pieces of wood but not to many. In fact, if I were to add any component to PnP's vision of fading away on a mountainside with a PBR in my hand, let it be in an Adirondack chair.
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