Craftsman can create an endless number of unique handmade dressers that are as exquisite as they are useful and functional by studying and using a conglomeration of designs and fashions that have been popular at different times over the course of centuries. Artisans make old fashions popular today by melding styles, such as Queen Anne, Shaker and Mission styles. By doing so, a craftsman can honor old traditions while adding a mixture of woods or accents to match other bedroom furniture or simply personal styles. Sideboard dressers especially look tradition and modern at the same time when they are made from a blend of woods, which creates a special aesthetic in any dining room.
The same dovetail joinery that craftsmen use to create sturdy handmade desks is also used to build elegant tops, sides and drawers of handmade dressers. The body of the dresser, or the carcass, is held together with dovetail joints that add an element of design as well as making it extremely strong. Other dressers employ frame and panel construction that is highlighted by mortise and tenon joinery that is accented with wooden pins. Combining both techniques for any style of handmade dresser is what makes the carcass durable and the drawers move in and out smoothly.
Many styles of handmade wooden furniture that are popular today take their roots in styles and fashions of centuries past. The Queen Anne style is an example of a very American tradition that was once made popular between 1720 to 1760, and it was celebrated for its distinctive cyma, or S-curve, design in the feet of dressers or chairs. By also working this soft curve into other areas of the furniture, even a heavy piece of wooden furniture can soften the look of any room and make the piece look smaller and less assuming than it actually is.
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The Queen Anne style of furniture traditionally used only walnut wood, which was very abundant at the time. Handmade dressers today might use other natural woods like butternut, mahogany, maple or cherry. Similar to walnut woods, butternut is cherished for its rich, honey color that has elegant splashes of darker grains.
An artisan will also delight in mixing types of wood for a more modern-looking handmade dresser. Hardwood knobs on the drawers of a bedroom dresser can be made from darker rainforest woods or even brass. The top of the dresser might feature darker dovetail details to bring an understated accent of beauty to an otherwise basic dresser. Studio furniture makers have the freedom to enjoy playing with the combinations of natural woods, knobs and joinery methods to create dressers that are truly unique and tailored to a client's specific style preferences.
Another style of handmade dressers that is still popular today is the Shaker style. Originating in the late 1700's, the Shaker style is revered for its clean lines, durable features and innovative joinery methods. Distinctive features include an arched apron and tapered legs, which looks graceful and unimposing.
Originally minimal in embellishments, artisans today will play with the tradition by adding modern touches, like blending types of wood in the paneling. Contrasting natural woods, like maple and walnut, a craftsman can really highlight the beauty of the panel doors and drawers. Intentionally practical, these sideboard Shaker style dressers are perfect for storing dining room china, but the pieces of furniture are elegant enough on their own.
Studio craftsmen make Shaker style sideboards look more contemporary by taking different types of natural wood and using the contrasting colors to distinguish subtle features of the piece of furniture. Darker wood might be used to make the knobs stand out, and glass paneling can even be used for the doors, which was not previously done.
Studio handmade dressers differ greatly from factory-made dressers in that studio-furniture makers have the creative freedom to mix and match classic styles with modern demands. Whereas factory-made furniture is made to appeal to most people's styles and preferences, studio-furniture makers create one-of-a-kind handmade dressers for one-of-a-kind clients. We realize not everyone has the same taste or needs, which is why working directly with an artisan can be a rewarding process for both the furniture-maker and the client.
Before moving forward with your purchase decision on a high quality handmade dressers, stop by my online store at Hawk Ridge Furniture. I can alter your handmade dresser to accommodate essential needs of a unique space in your home.