Period style furniture is not as popular as it should be! I was taught that one way of testing how good a craftsman you are, is to look at a beautiful piece of furniture, and ask yourself, could I make that? How does it compare to what you've done before, rather than just criticising or searching for its faults. I once heard Dr Jordan Peterson say, "There isn’t anything more valuable than beauty!” We need to design and create period style furniture, for future furniture makers!
When I design a piece of furniture, I regard it as a piece of art. I own it while I create it, and on completion, it must be good enough to stand in my own home. As a good furniture maker and craftsman, you should study as much antique furniture as possible. Create your furniture using traditional methods, but you also need to try new ideas. I suggest you use modern fittings, like metal drawer runners, after all it is 2021!
I’ve designed furniture using variety of different timbers, including Western Australian Jarrah, and then added carved jarrah gumnuts and leaves (one example can be seen below), which makes the piece unique to Australia! I always sign and date all my bespoke pieces.
The cabinet below was a real bespoke piece. The client was given some Sheoak from a friend, who was clearing his property to build, and felt the beautiful timber was just too good to waste. I were asked to design a wine cabinet, something classic and functional, that revealed the beauty of the wood. The results speaks for themselves and needless to say, the client was very happy with it.
When one designs and builds a modern kitchen with latest appliances, it is a short term investment, and usually overpriced. Sadly it often becomes outdated by the time the appliances warrantys are over. No matter what sort of furniture you are creating, it should be built to last and your number one priority should be that it possesses great beauty! This cannot be done unless you have the passion to do so.