Maker of Fine Period Furniture & Expert Furniture Repair and Restoration
50 Allen Street, Braintree, MA 02184
Handcrafted Furniture Maker in Braintree, Massachusetts. Serving All of New England.
Period Furniture Designs
What is Period Furniture?
Perhaps this may sound like a strange question for a man who has devoted his career to studying and building museum inspired
furniture and who is also a life long New Englander, but perhaps not.
The rediscovery of the past is almost like the finding of a hidden treasure. To come upon an old piece of quality furniture; designed and built in a long past age is at first a study, then an eduction, and at last an enduring amazement.
Furniture made during and dedicated to the cultural views of their time exhibit their own specific identifying details. The Queen Anne cabriole leg, for example, with its graceful curve is in sharp contrast with a straight tapered Federal Period leg which often relies on a thin line of holly inlay to define its presence.
While these serve as simple examples to show the differences between the styles of the different period of our cultural and politely history, it could alway be found that all good furniture was correctly made and with the adherence to the particulars of the specific designs and with absolute demands of quality of craftsmanship. To examine and study these often lost accomplishments today is to find that treasure an to hold them in even higher esteem.
But, is all lost?...To rediscover the treasure and through study and practice is to rejoin with the nearly lost achievements of the past and to learn and discern with amazement so much of our American design history.To study and practice the styles and skills is to build a bridge from where enduring quality was left behind and to carry it forward to our present culture so as to find its place in our present everyday lives .
As an American craftsman and builder of Period Design Furniture, I have found such a strong undercurrent of desire for understanding and a wish for a rekindling of achievement by building with the utmost of quality, integrity of design and detail, of correct traditional joinery.. There will always be a place for these pieces in our holmes an in our culture.I am thrill to be a part of the rediscovery.
Visit our Portsmouth Chest page.
John R. Sullivan
Starling Furniture
Contact
us in Braintree, Massachusetts, and let our handcrafted furniture store accent your home.
• Twice Named Early American Life Magazine's 200 Best Craftsmen in America
• Chosen to Build Period Design Furniture for the State Senate Chambers at Massachusetts State House
• Recently Featured on the New England Cable Network™ "New England Dream House" Program, Where Our Owner Demonstrated Building a Grandfather Clock
The Story of Starling Furniture.
Starling Furniture creats fine handcrafted period furniture, including grandfather and grandmother clocks, Portsmouth chests, sideboards, and tables of every variety.
Living in New England and seeing it as a treasure house of designand history is a wonderful start. Having the opportunity to build period furniture in my family's old boat building shop with all its tools and traditions completes my story. For over 25 years, I have had the pleasure of building period-inspired furniture for some of New England's most beautiful and fascinating new and old homes.
Please enjoy visiting my website, or better still, drop by the shop (please call ahead).
Proudly Serving the North Shore, South Shore, Western Suburbs of Boston, Braintree and Quincy