We offer well over 150 handcrafted solid wood amish bookcases featuring the perennially popular shaker and mission furniture styles. Shaker style is back again as designers celebrate the. The pioneering artisans designed their shaker furniture. I just enjoyed the information about shaker furniture, a design style that appeals to me with its uncomplicated line. Furniture makingshaker style, furniture for the home, books. Their beliefs were reflected in the wellmade furniture of minimalist designs. The encyclopedia of shaker furniture by rieman, timothy d. Further, it examines shaker design and tools, reporting new research on the shaker.
They also paved the way for todays spacesaving furniture design. Shaker style is back again as designers celebrate the first. This ongoing interest is the direct result of the inherent beauty of shaker design beauty that stems not only from form, but from superb workmanship, a commitment to utility and a total understanding of material. Plus, measured drawings for of his own wellknown furniture designs and seven shaker pieces hes reproduced. The shaker movement declined during the second half of the 19th century, and many of the colonies were dissolved. I think furniture should be built well and if it is, then why not show it off. Shaker furniture is a distinctive style of furniture developed by the united society of believers in christs second appearing, commonly known as shakers, a religious sect that had guiding principles of simplicity, utility and honesty. Explore two floors and nearly 10,000 square feet of bedrooms, living rooms, dining tables and chairs, and accent pieces crafted from native. Some of the most enduringly popular american antique furniture was made not by a single designer, but by a group of people who believed in communal living and no sex. Perfect proportions, carefullyselected extrawide boards, tapered posts and legs, straight aprons with top and bottom cove moldings and traditional, chamfered edges, round button shaker. Regardless of where you fit on the woodworking spectrum, building a piece of shaker furniture is either a great place to start or a way to hone your skills. Its clear crisp lines and singular lightness unite and transcend both traditional and modern settings, and for that.
Further reading about the shakers and shaker furniture. Part 2 making shaker furniture the modern way updated on february 22, 2020 even the most novice level of furniture builders would like to make shaker inspired furniture, and were no. Originally made by followers of a religious group, shaker furniture was designed entirely for its functionality and practicality. This solid cherry bookcase with its hand dovetailed face frame, arched apron footing and solid cherry wood shelves has charm and strength. Choice if you collect shaker furniture, deal in it, or simply admire it, drop whatever you are doing and go out and buy john kassays the book of shaker furniture. The fullest and most elegant presentation of shaker furniture published to date.
In addition to arriving at different times in history, shaker and mission furniture offer identifying stylistic differences you just have to know what youre looking for. This furniture has already been built and is ready to be shipped, delivered or prepared for scheduled curbside pickups. Interest in the united society of believers in christs second appearing, the shakers, has steadily increased during the past forty years. Christian becksvoort shares not only his woodworking knowledge and some of his best professional techniques for topquality work, but the business advice that helped him establish and sustain his long career. John kassay, the author, is trained in furniture design and construction as well as photography and drafting. Shaker furniture, amish furniture, handmade furniture, home furniture, shaker style, furniture styles, simple house, chair design, my dream home shaker candle stand harvard, ma shaker community ca. Shaker furniture essay the metropolitan museum of art. Moser, an englishprofessorturnedcabinetmaker, has an excellent eye for design. The finest in individually built shaker and contemporary cherry furniture. From the classic ladderback dining chair to the tapered leg table, amish shaker furniture. Of the more than one hundred experiments in communitarian living that proliferated in america during the nineteenth century, the untied society of believers in. This book details the construction and design of some rare and never before seen shaker furniture created in the village of pleasant hill, kentucky. This ongoing interest is the direct result of the inherent beauty of shaker designbeauty. In the early 20th century there was a marked revival of interest in shaker furniture, outstanding examples of which are to be seen in the fruitlands museum, harvard, massachusetts, and in the shaker museum near auburn, kentucky.
Endnotes, bibliography, glossaries, and technical terms make this beautiful reference required reading for everyone with an interest in shaker design and culture. Instead of the intricate inlay, elaborate carving or thick veneers present in other american furniture styles, the quality of workmanship, sound materials and a smooth finish became the classic elements of shaker design, note jonathan fairbanks and elizabeth bates in american furniture. The book s expert contributors discuss shaker design in relation to the furniture they constructed, the products they sold, their gift drawings and spirituality, and their rejection of american fancy design. Dovetail joinery decorates this shaker inspired case piece. Not only does amish furniture represent a value purchase, it also offers a little something for everyone. Shaker shoppe authentic reproduction shaker furniture. Best known for his work in television comedy parks and recreation episode ron and diane, christian becksvoort reveals a surprising amount of woodworking wisdom, culled from spending a mere lifetime singularly focused on his masterful furniture work, mostly shaker inspired, mostly in cherry. Industrial design furniture furniture design discount bedroom furniture shaker furniture. If you have more than a causal commitment to furniture design. How to design and construct furniture that works fox chapel publishing over 0 drawings. I am an award winning master craftsman and my furniture is handcrafted, one table, one cabinet, one work of art at a time. At its height, the shaker movement included some 6,000 members living in 19 villages stretching from maine to indianayet this tiny group of people had an impressive impact on american style and design. From the classic ladderback dining chair to the tapered leg table, amish shaker furniture is designed for simple beauty and practicality. Handcrafted shaker wood furniture chilton furniture.
Encyclopedia of shaker furniture rieman, timothy d. This comprehensive reference documents the full scope of furniture from shaker communities in new england, ohio, and kentucky. Perfect to fit all your office furniture or living room furniture needs. The amish dedication to handcrafted quality, as well as their background in small rural communities, have served them well in carrying forward the heritage of shaker furniture. Wooden shaker furniture by countryside amish furniture. Although shaker communities began to steadily decline after the civil war, shaker furniture has continued to evolve. The bright finish of our shaker server buffet by keystone is a modern take on timeless shaker furniture.
Mar 01, 2017 shaker are credited with inventing some of the earliest washing machines, as well as the circular saw, flat broom and clothespin. Moser cabinetmakers, and you can see it in this book. A global view covers the major historical movements in furniture design from prehistoric periods through contemporary times and includes parts of the world that traditional history books ignore or underserve, such as africa and china. The book of shaker furniture university of massachusetts press. Shaker style is known for being practical and simple down to the very last detail.
Our high end, modern shaker style furniture collection is designed in burlington, vermont and handmade of natural solid hardwoods. Part 2 making shaker furniture the modern way miter. Thats because we, like you, believe in making good things for our homes projects that will last. Simple shaker end table popular woodworking magazine. Fast forward a few hundred years and shaker style furniture has become increasingly popular for both traditional and modern homes. Clean and subtle designs for cases, tables, chairs, beds, desks, lighting and accessories, utilizing the. Jul 03, 20 if not, be sure to check it out and download a few more, especially the latest one on shaker style furniture that is packed with general information on end table plans, coffee table plans, dining table plans and an overall table plan template. These features continue to be a cornerstone of shaker furniture today. This splendid book describes and illustrates in detail how the shakers. Each piece in this collection is available with your choice of either soft, rounded corners and edges or straight streamlined edges and eased corners. Winterthurr portfolio the fullest and most elegant presentation of shaker furniture.
Shaker are credited with inventing some of the earliest washing machines, as well as the circular saw, flat broom and clothespin. It was created to be simplistic to mirror the sparse lifestyle of the community. An exploration of 200 years of shaker design and spirituality, with new attention to shaker influence on contemporary design reaching an apogee of 6,000 members in the years just before the civil war, the shaker movement was the most extensive, enduring, and successful utopian society ever established in america. Shaker furniture made for the outside world or rescued from newly closed communities became highly coveted by collectors. Fast forward a few hundred years and shaker style furniture. If not, be sure to check it out and download a few more, especially the latest one on shaker style furniture. State university, where he is professor emeritus in the department of design and industry. Our specialty is building the finest authentic reproduction shaker furniture. Simple and honest, wooden shaker furniture is made thoughtfully with functional form and proportion.
Then, once that has been achieved, make something beautiful. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. It then explores the shaker approach to furniture design. Regardless of where you fit on the woodworking spectrum, building a piece of shaker furniture is either a great place to start or a way to hone. Its clear crisp lines and singular lightness unite and transcend both traditional and modern settings, and for that reason it has remained a major creative force in our decorative arts heritage for hundreds of years. We offer well over 150 handcrafted solid wood amish bookcases featuring the perennially popular shaker and mission furniture.
Shaker furniture is highly admired because of its high functionality, unique joinery, simplicity and quality. Established in 1990 fm furniture has been proudly serving the las vegas valley for over 20 years. Book of shaker furniturehardcover online bookstore. Sep 25, 2010 while shaker style furniture is generally thought of in a traditional context, this connection makes the combination of modern style furniture and shaker style furniture easy to combine within a room or house, making it a great choice for transitional and contemporary homes. This style is one of our very favorites here at popular woodworking. Like amish furniture, shaker style furniture is a reflection of the shaker. I like shaker furniture because it plays well with other styles. Shaker furniture plans gain some inspiration for your next project with this collection of classic furniture plans.
Some of the most enduringly popular american antique furniture, known as shaker style, was made not by a single designer, but by a group of people who shared a set of beliefs and an aesthetic. Shaker furniture plans dont get any better than this. Using primary source materials, this book examines designs. In one sense, this is a very simple book a collection of over 3,000 gorgeous color photographs of the very best designed furniture from 4000 bc to the beginning of the 21st century.
Head on over to our blog to learn what those key differences are, or to browse our shaker. The book of shaker furniture by john kassay, 1980 online. Rieman is a master woodworking craftsman and one of the foremost makers of reproduction shaker furniture. An extensive text provides a detailed account of shaker history, culture, and religion. You can see it in the line of furniture produced by his successful mainebased business, thos. Shaker hanging cabinet i f you own any books about the shakers or their furniture, you probably have seen a small storage cabinet like this one hanging in the background behind the more celebrated pieces.
The shaker style of furniture is one of the most popular and enduring furniture styles in the united states. The simple yet elegant artifacts created by the shakers during the 19th century speak loudly to worldly americans 100 years later. Mosers excellent book, how to build shaker furniture sterling. With classic simplicity and adherence to form following function, shaker is at once timeless, and a foundation of modern design. Furniture produced throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, ranging from freestanding tables, chairs, desks, boxes, and case clocks to builtin cupboards and cases of drawers, is shown in over 1,000 images, 698 in color. It began primarily with the books of edward deming andrews, whose scholarly commentary and illustrations of the exquisitely simple and functional shaker furniture introduced the american people to a design concept very different from the contemporary idiom. The book is an asset for people who are attracted to things shaker and especially those interested in reproducing shaker furniture for use in everyday life. Chiltons shaker, shaker style and shaker inspired wood furniture designs represent classic examples of the clean lines and craftsmanship favored by shaker cabinet makers in the 1800s. Some of the most enduringly popular american antique furniture. The first generation of shaker furniture makers were converts who had. Shaker style furniture made by the amish amish products.
If you collect shaker furniture, deal in it, or simply admire it, drop whatever you are doing and go out and buy john kassays the book of shaker furniture. Tables, chest of drawers, bookcases, beds, desks, and dining tables. Our vermont shaker furniture features traditional straight lines that are clean and simple, but oh so elegant. Interest in shaker design is as strong today as it was when the first edition of this book was published in 1977, possibly stronger. If you have found your way onto the woodworking daily blog list, it may have been via our free woodworking plans page. Each piece in this collection is available with your. Purchased and expanded in 1996 by a family from minnesota, fm furniture strives to give las vegas valley residents the best service and value for their furniture. This table is adapted heavily from thomas mosers excellent book, how to build shaker furniture sterling. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The first modern history of the shakers, written by the yale university professor who discovered the shakers, their furniture, music, art, and industries and spent 35 years reading original shaker manuscripts and other primary sources, as well as interviewing the thenliving shakers. Our amish heritage shaker kitchen island allows you to make shaker style a part of every meal. These beautiful, welldesigned furniture projects are specially selected from six taunton woodworking books. Shaker furniture the presence of the art of the shakers in the world of design is not undeserved, but it is nonetheless strange.
Modern shaker furniture collection vermont woods studios. The shaker design philosophy is one of prioritization. Further, it examines shaker design and tools, reporting new research on the shaker color palette. The book of shaker furniture university of massachusetts. The book first chronicles and describes the shaker movement and the shaker way of living, worshiping, and working. Choose your movement first, then build the clock around it. I was looking for a guide to making a few shaker pieces, or designing my own in their style and proportions. The shakers produced many incredible furniture objects. Amish furniture styles range from mission to shaker to colonial to queen anne, craftsman, and many other classic styles. Jan 01, 2010 eric campbell compiled this list while he was a student here, and now he is one of our instructors. Our shaker bookcases provided an open canvas to fill with your favorite books, keepsakes and to incorporate eyecatching artwork. Book of shaker furniture by john kassay, hardcover. Read more about the authors technique and order fullsized plans and a. The pioneering artisans designed their shaker furniture according to its use.
The andrewses amassed a large collection of shaker furniture and domestic items, much of which now resides in museums throughout the country, including the metropolitan. The book also considers the powerful inspiration shaker design. Dovetail joinery decorates this shakerinspired case piece. Shaker furniture is the one truly original american style of furniture. It then explores the shaker approach to furniture design from chests and chairs to. Bissell woodworking shaker, mission, and custom furniture. An homage to the classic design, our amish shaker ladderback rocker represents the survival of shaker style. Although the bulk of the book is intended for woodworkers, the first chapter is a great introduction to shaker design and its continuing influence, with insightful. Vermont shaker furniture collection vermont woods studios. In compiling this list of books on furniture design, i found that i liked two kinds of books howto design books and books to read for inspiration. Pleasant hill shaker furniture popular woodworking. Interest in shaker design is as strong today as it was when the first edition of this book was published.