Handmade chairs can have a great deal of character.
Chairs have been made by hand for centuries, and despite the fact that most furniture is manufactured today with machines, some craftspeople continue to make chairs by hand. A handmade chair can be more than just a place to sit; it can be an object of beauty and something to be shared by generations in a family. Does this Spark an idea?
Rocking Chairs
Before the advent of the padded recliner, the rocking chair was usually the most comfortable seat in the house. Rockers are characterized by long curved pieces of wood attached to the feet, allowing the sitter to rock backward and forward. Most rockers also have carved seats, armrests and profiled backs for maximum comfort. Rockers were very common in the Colonial era, and some of the original pieces from this era now fetch enormous prices at antique auctions. Hand building of rocking chairs allows features that are very difficult to emulate with machines, for example flowing lines that make joined pieces of wood such as the leg and the rocker appear to be a single form. The late master woodworker Sam Maloof was a master of this style.
Morris Chairs
The distinctive feature of a Morris chair is the adjustable back that is attached to the chair seat with hinges and supported by a piece of wood that stretches across the arms behind the back. The Morris chair got its name from the British designer William Morris, although there is some historical question as to whether Morris actually designed it. Most Morris chairs include upholstered cushions on the back and the seat, but their frames have been traditionally crafted out of wood for over 100 years. The Morris chair is central to the arts-and-crafts style which flourished in the early 20th century and encouraged hand crafted simplicity as a reaction to what these craftsmen saw as the excessive decoration of Victorian style.
Dining Room Chairs
A challenge to any craftsman is to construct a complete set of dining room chairs. Traditional sets of dining chairs include six side chairs without arms and either one or two chairs designed for the heads of the table and including armrests. The hand crafting of a set of eight chairs is a substantial amount of work, and without the automatic precision of power tools, it requires some skill to create chairs that all look the same. Sets of dining chairs are typically built as a set with the table that they sit around.
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