objects purposefully handbuilt with skill and care
-FURNITURE-
-DESIGN-
-CONSERVATION-
What about objects purposefully handbuilt with skill and care?
receives an historic hand shellac finish
before finish is applied
from an antique in the shop
with a handwoven rush seat
being sorted for projects
with highly patterned quarter sawn white oak makes a beautiful tabletop
careful application of finish inside and out
with hand carved side panels
awaiting finish
with hemp upholstery and a hand embroidered pillow
on a custom Arts and Crafts cabinet
a well executed bedpost
detail showing the hand carved top
HISTORIC REPRODUCTIONS
Equal parts master workmanship, experience, passion for history and scavenger hunting built our library, growing and over 500 forms. Our reproductions are measured from originals in private collections and museums.
Full size templates for each part and meticulous notes on construction and finish equip us to do the proper job. We don't alter the forms to make them easier to build. Hardware is exactly reproduced by our colleagues in metalsmithing.
When a modern material (like glue) is available that exceeds the longevity of the historic, we employ it without compromising the integrity of the original design.
Enjoyed finding your site -- really have mastered Gus' coloring -- congrats!
-Bruce Johnson, Director of the National Arts and Crafts Conference at Grove Park Inn and author of The Pegged Joint and other titles
FINISHING
The PH Finish is a one person affair, beginning to end, using historic methods and materials that demand a master level of skill. We say NO to assembly line work by people who lose inspiration because they never see the completed result of their contribution to the project.
To ensure the final result is outstanding, we begin with attentive sanding, a crucial step. Raw materials and pigments are custom blended using our own recipes and applied with care in light capturing, durable layers. The natural feel of furniture built and finished by hand to a mellow patina feels nothing like machine produced, sprayed furniture from a factory.
Our furniture is often mistaken for antiques. The same time tested methods and materials and the expertise of master craftsmanship we use remain integral to create items of lasting beauty and utility. Our finishes have been called the finest in the reproduction market and closest to the original antiques. The good news is none of this back story is as important as you loving what we make for you!
Modern trouble lies not with the use of machinery but with the abuse of it.
-Gustav Stickley, 1906
FINE CARPENTRY
The right ingredients are a good start but what unfolds next is a chance for true artistry.
We select superior lumber and even set aside extraordinary boards for special projects yet to come. Placement of particular boards within a design requires time and an eye for pleasant combinations of wood grain and direction. (This sometimes produces a significant amount of "waste" per project but these cuttings are repurposed later.)
Years of firsthand knowledge of the organic irregularity and uniqueness of the material equips us to build with confidence. It's not about getting it done, it's about practices in the studio that are true and right. We're efficient throughout the process to have time for making creative choices. Mortise and tenon joinery, pinned joints, handcut dovetails, and master level expertise position us as players not posers.
The precious part of a product is that put into it by the craftsman.
-Charles Rohlfs, 1900
TEXTILES, PRINTS, AND OTHER HANDWORK
Each of these disciplines is intentionally completed by hand from existing designs or to your specifications. Please be in touch to discuss your unique idea!