Our décor says something about us and the furniture we choose to live with can make an exciting statement. Too often we rush to fill a furniture need without much consideration. Have you ever bought a piece of furniture simply on the criteria of whether it’s “comfy” in the store, or a familiar style?” This grab-anything method leaves us wanting. Like nourishing food, the objects in our lives can also satisfy something deeper. Imagine a home filled with items that you truly cherish, that have a story about the hands that made them. Handcrafted furniture, designed to meet your needs, made by a person you know is less expensive in the long run and so lovely to live with.
Hudson Valley Furniture Maker’s (HVFM) 7th annual exhibition and sale is happening this weekend, September 26 – 28 in Building B at Rhinebeck Arts Festival, held at Dutchess County Fairgrounds, 6550 Spring Brook Ave, Rhinebeck, NY. Ten of this region’s most talented and dedicated furniture makers are exhibiting, and will be there to talk about what’s possible in fulfilling your furniture needs. The show includes one of a kind and limited edition, studio made furniture that demonstrates the structural and decorative techniques for which each maker is known. Materials include exotic and domestic woods, and hand-forged steel.
HVFM member, Michael Leggett proudly stands among past and current makers who uphold the venerable craft of building furniture that is always in style and built to last. Selecting premium hardwoods to create his work, Leggett carefully considers the grains before the pieces are joined together with precision.
Nationally recognized, studio furniture maker Michael Puryear’s aesthetic reflects his appreciation for clarity and directness in design. “He’s not interested in making furniture disguised as sculpture,” says Bruce Metcalf in American Craft magazine June/July 2014. “The fine craftsmanship ensures that the work will be cherished for generations to come.” (Puryear’s game bench shown above)
Fifteen years ago, Andrew Hunter embarked on a life-long journey to become a master furniture maker inspired by the patience and dedication of a traditional Japanese apprenticeship. His meditative process is a practice of being fully present whether selecting wood from local sawmills, to hand-forging hardware.
Many HVFM members begin a furniture design with a problem they are looking to solve for a client. Clark Peaslee, who studied at RISD with Tage Frid, said that he couldn’t point to any one thing that inspires his work; it is a kind of mystery. “Inspiration just presents as a possibility, something to explore, to look at differently and, oftentimes with experimentation, something new is born just by shifting my viewpoint by a few degrees,” said Peaslee.
Founded in 2008, HVFM showcases the designer/makers of custom furniture in the region.
