Your favorite furniture style?

[Alan Lightstone]

Craftsman (though we have none in the house because it's just the wrong style), and Scandanavian Mid-Century Modern (not sure if there's another name for that). Broke my heart to donate some stunning teak pieces on our last house move.

[Ole Anderson]

The only real furniture I built other than my computer desk/hutch was this Mission style bed that "justified" my bandsaw and mortising attachment purchase:

[Bob Riefer]

I have been looking at a lot of Sam Maloof designs lately (but am a bit nervous to try to create that style myself, not sure where to start learning). I'm unsure whether his work fits into a specific category and if there are others that produce similar style (but would be curious to know from the group here)

[Bill Carey]

Mission / arts and crafts / craftsman styles is what got me started. Limbert and Stickley. Beginning to appreciate Mackintosh more and more. And Krenov cabinets. Greene and Greene is also a favorite but the few G&G pieces I've made seem out of place where ever I put them. Maybe because I've viewed their stuff in situ and when taken out of the amazing environment that G&G created for their work the individual pieces loose something.

[michael langman]

I'm not sure if Krenovs work is a style, but I really like his designs and how they lend more towards the feature of the wood itself, and the simpleness of his designs.

[Tom M King]

Federal ,

[Rod Sheridan]

I like A&C and Shaker style, most of my work is of those 2 types....Rod

[Paul Haus]

As most have said: Stickley, Mission, Craftsman, Amish styles appeal to me the most. IMO they have a honest style to them that most other types of furniture do not exhibit. These styles also go well with locally available wood.

[Derek Cohen]

There is a theme running through designers in Europe in the mid 1900’s, such as Berge Mogensen and Hans Wegner (there are, of course, many, many others), the Shakers in the USA in the mid 1800’s, the tranquility of Japanese furniture over centuries, and the more recent attention given to makers, such as Jim Krenov, George Nakashima and Sam Maloof.

We may refer to it as a focus on negative space or designs of simplicity, but my wife just remarks, “I don’t like clutter”. We call it minimalism. My view is that the art of minimalism is found in the ability to remove the distractions and present an illusion of a bigger whole by incorporating just the essential elements. Uncluttered lines. Graceful curves. Sensitive proportions. Details that blend in harmoniously, and then delight when discovered.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Doug Dawson]

There is a theme running through designers in Europe in the mid 1900’s, such as Berge Mogensen and Hans Wegner (there are, of course, many, many others), the Shakers in the USA in the mid 1800’s, the tranquility of Japanese furniture over centuries, and the more recent attention given to makers, such as Jim Krenov, George Nakashima and Sam Maloof.

We may refer to it as a focus on negative space or designs of simplicity, but my wife just remarks, “I don’t like clutter”. We call it minimalism. My view is that the art of minimalism is found in the ability to remove the distractions and present an illusion of a bigger whole by incorporating just the essential elements. Uncluttered lines. Graceful curves. Sensitive proportions. Details that blend in harmoniously, and then delight when discovered.

Very well said. That’s how I feel about it too, in so many ways.

[Austin Perera]

I've noticed older styles definitely trend among woodworkers. I think I'm in the minority in liking modern styles, and have noticed there aren't nearly as many resources for building modern style furniture.

[Mike Henderson]

I've noticed older styles definitely trend among woodworkers. I think I'm in the minority in liking modern styles, and have noticed there aren't nearly as many resources for building modern style furniture.

Many of the older styles, such as Queen Anne, or even Federal, are complex to build and require mastery of multiple techniques, such as carving, veneering, inlay, shaping of complex curves, etc. Woodworkers who seek projects with more complexities than mid-century modern or Arts & Crafts often gravitate to the older styles.

The Arts & Crafts movement (around 1900) was partially about simpler furniture that lesser trained workers (or even homeowners) could build.

Mike

[Mel Fulks]

I think when you see the highest quality pieces of great makers it it elevates the whole style. When I look at pics of Samuel McIntyre’s work
Federal is my favorite, but when I see Federal in the window of a local furniture store ...its rating falls.

[Stan Calow]

I like the ideas behind G&G but have never attempted to make anything. As was said, they don't fit a modern house very well. Mission is interesting, but it always reminds me of the heavy furniture at "grandma's house". The furniture I've made has been mostly bastardized Shaker, as in leaning towards the simple, functional and undecorated. And light.

[David Utterback]

G&G definitely followed by A&C with thinner lines. Excess mass when combined with square corners is a turn off. Maloof (which I admire) is beyond my skill set.