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Fine furniture making is a way of life. It is setting one's self to work in a manner where all aspects of the design and execution of a piece are done thoughtfully with close attention to detail. In my work, gently curved lines and surfaces along with innovative design are used to create furniture that is elegantly modern and serene. Couple that with the warmth of carefully selected woods and you'll have something that is a comfort to live with.

A traditional form scaled down for intimacy and lightened in stance. The gentle curves in line and shaping add sensual comfort and update this piece. The wood was both a pleasure and a challenge to work with.

Curly Cherry and Rosewood
20" high by 45" wide by 19" deep

Gently curved lines and surfaces are the basis of the design language used to create this piece. By limiting extraneous embellishment, the natural warmth of wood is allowed a stronger voice; and that is something nice to live with.

Ash, Cherry, and Rosewood
34" high by 61 1/2" wide by 20" deep

You can't find twenty-inch wide cherry boards anymore, so when I came across the wood used in this piece there was the stirring excitement of a rare find. The sideboard design is a further development of many tables I have built over the years.

Mahogany, curly maple and holly
47" high x 17 1/2" wide x 15 1/2" deep

We have always enriched our lives with objects of art and craft. Pedestals are an uncommon furniture form but provide a stage for those special things that reflect our tastes and inspire us. Gracefully curved lines and subtle details are an intrinsic part of the design and a comfort to live with.

Mahogany
17" high x 59" wide x 26" deep

I have always been interested in clean forms that don't need the support of embellishments or excessive detail to be successful designs. Broken into basic design elements, this table feels both "heavy" and "light." A piece from the distant past or the future? ... Maybe both.

Bubinga and rosewood 33" high x 40" wide x 17" deep

"Tall and thin and young and lovely the Girl from Ipanema goes walking and when she passes each one she passes goes ahhh" . . . Just an example of where inspiration and details might come from) . . . "When she walks it's like a samba that swings so cool and sways so gently that when she passes each one she passes goes ahhh . . . ." (Song lyrics by Antonio Carlos Jobim.)

Black walnut, curly maple, ash, and leather 29 3/4" high x 59" wide x 28" deep

Made exclusively from woods harvested in northern New England, this desk includes a sliding leather writing panel as part of the interior detailing. The rich figure of the ancient walnut in the desk top was used to best advantage by matching the grain with curved glue joints. The fine curly maple inlays add a touch of flair and refinement to the piece.

Walnut Leather by Gordon Keeler 34" high x 26" wide x 24" deep

This chair was originally designed and made by Walker Weed and Gordon Keeler, both early members of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. Its light design, coupled with strong traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery, is evidence of honest craftsmanship that is an intrinsic part of New Hampshire's furniture-making history. Walker started building furniture in 1948 and later taught furniture making at Dartmouth College. When not away hiking or canoeing, he lives in Etna. Gordon continues his forty-seven-year career producing turned bowls and leather work in New London. It was an honor to collaborate with these two craftsmen to remake this chair.

Quilted maple and wenge
Tall Table: 29" high x 22" wide x 15 1/4" deep
Middle Table: 25 1/2" high x 17 1/2" wide x 15 1/4 deep"
Lower Table: 22" high x 12 1/2" wide x 15 1/4 deep"

Encouraged by patrons to explore woods that were rare or that appealed to me as a woodworker, I was instantly excited by the possibilities. My first instinct as a designer was to see what would complement their home. Wenge for the base would give the tables a strong presence and the interesting depth of figure in the quilted maple tops - one of the marvels of nature - would work in consort. Whether at home in the nest or traveling about the house, these tables stand ready to gracefully serve.

Anigre
29" high x 61" wide x 41" deep (expands to 101")

The wood was selected mainly on the basis of color. I was after something calm and even, so my shaping wouldn't be overpowered by wild grain pattern. The visual effect of a low crossbeam appeals to me and makes the table feel more connected to the floor. With the addition of two leaves that are stored just below the top, this table expands to comfortably seat ten.

East Indian Rosewood, Satinwood, Brass
64" high x 28" wide x 24" deep

Luxurious materials sharpen the senses. This design incorporates gently curved lines and surfaces that evolve subtly into crisp detail. The carved satinwood accents draw the eye in, creating a feeling of serene elegance.

East Indian Rosewood, Figured Cherry
20" deep x 16.5'' wide x 23.5" high

Using marquetry techniques, the idea was to take a highly figured grain pattern and reconfigure it to create a top panel that is just subtly outside of what might occur naturally.

Curly sugar maple, aged cherry
19" deep x 38" wide x 34" high

This delicate chest of drawers for the dining room uses a minimal amount of space and has a light and airy stance. The subtle upward sweeping curves and composition of the top add quiet interest to this unmistakably handmade piece.

Price Range: $9,400 - $14,500

Maple, bubinga
30" deep x 72" wide x 35" high

Patterned after traditional European benches, with vise hardware made in Germany, this work bench is the heart of the shop. Want to learn about trust and dependability? Spend some time with one of these.

Sugar maple, bubinga
13" deep x 19" wide x 39" high

I originally thought this piece would work well in an entry to “greet or say good-bye,” but it also might be used as a display stand in the living room or bedroom.

Curly sugar maple, East Indian rosewood
15 1/2" deep x 26" wide x 41" high

A small chest with gently curved legs is a form that Ted has always been attracted to because of its intimate scale and elegance.

Curly sugar maple
26" deep x 54" wide x 31" high

The idea behind this piece was to weave the natural patterns of the highly figured wood into a unified flowing form.

Claro walnut, ebonized cherry
20" deep x 45" wide x 17 1/4" high

Claro walnut from northern California exhibits reds and golds mixed with tans, grays, black, and brown in beautiful naturally formed figure. It is a piece that you just want to look at, but also a table that is meant to be lived with.

Claro walnut, ebonized cherry,
curly maple, rosewood
19" deep x 66" wide x 33" high

This elegant cabinet is a striking and thoughtful composition of richly figured Claro walnut. The shimmering set of curly maple drawers on the interior and fine detailing throughout is an expression of care in making.

Curly sugar maple, rosewood,
quarter-sawn white oak
17 1/2" deep x 34" wide x 33" high

A lively table with two drawers that has remained true to the original sketch.

Claro walnut, black walnut, satinwood
27" deep x 46" wide x 25" high

The clear form and exceptional single-board Claro walnut top make this piece particularly satisfying. Higher than a coffee table and lower than a tea table, it was designed to facilitate TV trays in the den, board games in front of the fireplace, jigsaw puzzles in the parlor, and convivial togetherness in any home.

"This piece takes the customary coffee table idea and literally elevates it."

claro walnut, black walnut, curly maple, leather upholstery
Desk: 26" deep x 50" wide x 29" high
Chair: 20" deep x 20" wide x 34" high

This set expresses my interest in quiet, elegant form, and I'd like to think there is some kinship with Japanese aesthetics in the design. A single plank of figured claro walnut with its curving asymmetrical shape defined the desk's top, and the left- to-right flow in the wood's grain pattern was a pleasant surprise. A small drawer provides minimal storage and suggests uncluttered use. The black walnut chair has seven curly maple back supports that evoke visual harmony with complements of physical comfort.

white pine, white oak
14-1/2" deep x 27" wide x 62" high

The history of the wood used to make this cupboard, and any other piece of furniture I become involved with, is important to me. These boards had been stacked in a barn loft in Sutton, N.H., since the 1950s and were offered to me. The warm color of white pine is something I have always been attracted to from my time working on old houses. I remember first seeing hand-plane marks on interior paneling in a late 1700s farmhouse; evidence of the maker was there and the scalloped surface left by the curved plane blade reflected light in a much more interesting way than today's flat-milled surfaces. With the cupboard I did the same, not only for the subtle textured surface, but to also emphasize the handmade quality. I imagined when designing and making this piece what a simple cupboard might be if it were given some sensuous shaping and an alluring stance...hence the title.

"Pine is not often thought of as a fine furniture wood. I have tried to elevate it with this piece."

Ways to work with a New Hampshire Furniture Master

• Replicate a treasured antique to use now and pass down in your family.
• Design a modern piece of furniture.
• Become a patron and advance the art of custom furniture making.
• Purchase a portfolio item for your home or office.

The New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association was organized in 1996 by 13 New Hampshire Furniture makers with the objective of rejuvenating the tradition of custom furniture making. During the 18th and 19th century if you needed furniture you hired a cabinetmaker and New Hampshire had some of the finest. Samuel Dunlap, Langley Boardman and Judkins and Senter all came from the Granite State. But, with the dawn of the Industrial REvolution and the mass productions of furniture, cabinetmaking dwindled. With its roots in tradition, the New Hampshire Furniture Masters decided to bring their work public in an unusual way: An Auction of Juried Patroned Furniture.

Each year the New Hampshire Furniture Masters auction off a collection of partoned work. The patron underwrites the cost of the work and if it is sold at the auction they receive a replacement peice for the original price. The patron enjoys supporting the artist and perhaps the thrill of seeing run away bidding on their piece. The patron's investment appreciates in value and the artist's work gains broader recognition. It was the concept of patronage that fueled the artistic talent and imagination of the Renaissance and it is the catalyst for the new golden age of furniture making in New Hampshire..

New Hampshire Furniture Masters now have 26 members with work that spans all styles of furniture including: Period, Early American, Shaker, Classic, Contemporary and Art Furniture. Each of our members work individually and are juried into the Association. You can choose to work with them on a variety of levels. You can purchase a design from their portfolio, have them design a custom peice for your home or office, have them replicate an antique, or become their patron for the auction. No matter what your needs, you are sure to find exceptional quality.