Antick

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A place for everything.

Earlier this year I made this “Welsh dresser” for a person in Philadelphia. A Welsh dresser is kind of a catchall phrase here. It usually refers to any number of designs for kitchen storage, work, and display above and bellow. This design has a plate rack, three lockable drawers, two lockable doors and a center opening, sometimes called a kennel.

The monolithic piece is made of curly maple, a grain which causes the wood to shift color from dark to light depending on how the light is shining. Here it has been stained to a warm amber color. The effect is quite beautiful as the sun changes the light in the room throughout the day.

The lower section is a frame and panel construction with pegged mortise and tenon joints. The lipped drawers are made with hand cut half-blind dovetails . Hand carved tombstone panels liven up the doors. Grain and color of each board was carefully considered to give a unified facade. On top there are gently shaped shelves for plates and glasses. It is held together with hand cut dovetails and through wedged mortise and tenons. A carefully matched scalloped valance and crown molding top it all off.

Posted by antickcabinet | May 18, 2013 | Categories: custom built-in, custom cabinetry, custom furniture, Lambertville NJ | Tags: cupboard, curly maple, custom built-in, custom cabinetry, custom furniture, custom furniture lambertville, furniture designer, half-blind dovetails, hand cut dovetails, hutch, mortise and tenon joints, plate display shelf, plate rack, tiger maple, tombstone doors, welsh dresser | Leave a comment

Looking back at 2012

It’s been a long old year here at Antick. It all started with a new customer Mr. G—, an interesting fellow who likes to turn discarded lumber into unusual antiques. This is the first piece, a tall case clock made of old pine book shelves. He then paints or otherwise finishes them himself.

Reproducing a reproduction, again using reclaimed lumber, and a riff on the same form.

I also made a new stick for a cane, it’s ebony carved to resemble blackthorn.

I’ve already posted about this double sided bookcase. Then I made tables in cherry and curly maple.

Another reclaimed lumber chest and a thoroughly modern nixie tube clock out of a solid block of walnut.

A miniature blanket chest with drawer made of reclaimed pine.

Two compound angle dovetail projects in cherry.

A Queen Anne mirror in curly maple, and a Pennsylvania German bench.

This is an architectural model that is also a box, it’s a very cool design and was the first time I have cut a dovetail in plexiglass!

A ship model weathervane and solid wood skull made of bass wood.

More weathervanes, the top one is based on Albert Pinkham Ryder’s painting “the Racetrack”.

More architectural models.

This is a bathroom vanity made of white oak in an old english Elizabethan style. It is almost eleven feet long.

It will be stained quite dark. I love the rhythm of the scrolled cuts at the base and the many levels of mouldings and carving of the facade.

We are wishing for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year for us all.

Posted by antickcabinet | December 30, 2012 | Categories: custom built-in, custom cabinetry, custom furniture, Lambertville NJ | Tags: Architectural model, Bathroom vanity, bistro table, blanket chest, carved oak vanity, carved weathervane, Cherry, curly maple, custom built-in, custom cabinetry, custom furniture, custom furniture lambertville, fine furniture, furniture designer, handmade furniture Lambertville, nixie tube clock, pedestal table, pennsylvania german, pine bench, pine chest, Queen Anne Mirror, Reproduction furniture, tall case clock, wooden furniture, wooden weathervane | Leave a comment

Double Sided Cabinet

This is a commissioned book case that I’ve just completed. It is made of cherry, with an oil, shellac and wax finish. It was designed to divid the space between a kitchen and great room and be accessible from both sides, one side is open and the other has doors. The case is quite large, 54″ long 36″ high and 22″ deep.

The case is a good height for a serving station during parties.The shelves accommodate most art books.

Hand cut half-blind dovetails join the sides of the case which sits on a frame supported by ogee bracket feet.

Posted by antickcabinet | June 17, 2012 | Categories: custom built-in, custom cabinetry, custom furniture, Lambertville NJ | Tags: book case, Cherry, chest, chippendale, custom built-in, custom cabinetry, custom furniture, custom furniture lambertville, double sided book case, furniture designer, half-blind dovetails, handmade furniture Lambertville, Queen Anne, room divider | Leave a comment

Stool, Coffee Table, Bench?

This is a stool I had been wanting to make for a while. It is based on a stool possibly made in Philadelphia between 1680 and 1720. I just love the square structure and simplicity of the doric columns. The original piece is quite small so I scaled it up a bit for a more comfortable seating height.
I upholstered them with jute webbing, burlap, horse hair stuffing and muslin. they need a layer of cotton batting when the fabric goes on. I think a solid color would be best, maybe velvet? maybe tacks?

Once I began making the parts for the stool, I realized how great it would be to make a set. They could be used a number of ways and they don’t take up much space. Arrange them in a square and they become a coffee table, though they could still be used for seating during parties (or for tying your kids shoes). They can be used as a window seat or set up in tetris shapes as room dividers.

I had a lot of fun making the columns. I lined them up in group of 18. It was cool how light and shadows changed inside as you move around. It would make a great lamp base.

The stool’s legs and stretchers are made of walnut and the rails are made of ash. It is held together with pegged mortise and tenon joints. There are sixteen joints in each stool.

They can be used around a table, like this one or something more modern. This is a curly maple tea table based on examples made by John Townsend in Newport, Rhode Island c.1760-1790.

I made a double seat one too!

Posted by antickcabinet | March 29, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: coffee table, curly maple tea table, early american, foot stool, John Townsend, mortise and tenon joints, Newport, philadelphia furniture, RI, upholstered coffee table, upholstered seating, Walnut stool, William & Mary bench, William & Mary stool, window seat | Leave a comment

Bible Boxes for Baby Books

This is a box I made for my son Isaac’s Baby Book. It also has lots of room for keepsakes. It is based on a box pictured in Wallace Nutting’s Furniture of the Pilgrim Century. The box in the book is from 1670-1690 and held together with nails. I decided to use half-blind dovetails to join the front of the box and through dovetails for the back. Half-blind dovetails can only be seen from one side, so they don’t interfere with the carving on the front.

Inside the box is a till with its own lid, which can be used to prop the top open. There is also a secret compartment. This box belongs to my oldest son, Malcolm, and is pretty much filled up already. I tried make the boxes unique while keeping the design identical. The difference is all in the finish. Isaac’s is painted green over red milk paint with a coat of shellac, and Malcolm’s is red with most of the paint sanded off and a coat of linseed oil. Both boxes are made of sassafras, a local hardwood that is light, aromatic and closely resembles chestnut.

The carving is of a tulip vine, which for me symbolizes new life and continuing growth.

So, here’s a funny thing…you may have already seen this box. It was used as a prop in the John Adams mini-series on HBO! Here it is with Abigail Adams (Laura Linney) and George Washington (David Morse).

Posted by antickcabinet | March 21, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: baby book, baby gift, bible box, bun feet, carved initials, carving, christening gift, half-blind dovetails, john adams, keepsake box, pilgrim century, sassafras, secret compartment, snipe hinges, tulip vine carving, William & Mary | Leave a comment

Antick Lambertville

Latest

A place for everything.

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Looking back at 2012

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Double Sided Cabinet

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Stool, Coffee Table, Bench?

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Bible Boxes for Baby Books

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