Wednesday, 1 September 2010
390 years ago...
On September 6, 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers set sail in the Mayflower for the New Land that was America. Their epic voyage (in a ship of only about 100 feet in length) eventually lead to the colonisation of that area of the United States that later became known as New England. The style and construction of their homes and furniture established the trend that has become New England. Whilst the furniture may have an appeal to modern tastes, it is doubtful if the lifestyle of the early settlers would have a similarly broad appeal...
Friday, 21 May 2010
Can I make my own New England furniture?
Well the short answer is Yes you can! - but why do you want to?
For satisfaction?
However, I have to say that you need to establish why you want to make your own New England style furniture. If it's to satisfy your own creativity then go for it! The styles are fairly easy for anyone with a basic grasp of woodworking joints to produce. If you don't have any knowledge of woodwork then I recommend joining an evening class at your local college.
To save money?
If you want to make your own New England style furniture because you think its going to save you money, then be careful because the pros and cons of making your own versus buying ready-made furniture can be very finely balanced. Years ago I wanted some cheap bedroom furniture and being reasonably proficient at woodwork I looked at buying some cheap materials. I found to my surprise that the cost of buying the materials from my local DIY store was higher than the cost of buying a flat pack furniture item. However, all is not lost. With a little effort it is possible to 'make your own' New England furniture and save money.
The low cost solution
Many charity shops receive donations of unwanted furniture that they can't keep in their shops but do keep in warehouses not open to the public. It's worth asking if your local charity shop has secondhand furniture for sale cheap. Also it might be worth looking around for cheap furniture in junk shops. Don't buy someone else's old flat pack furniture - by the time you've invested money and effort in trying to revive it, it really isn't worth doing. Look for furniture that is traditionally made out of solid timber. Provided it hasn't been seriously damaged the joints can be reglued, the furniture can be cleaned, sanded and then painted to produce reasonably good furniture in a kind of New England style - remember the original New Englanders were puritans, so thrift or parsimony were prized virtues.
For more details on how to paint furniture, I recommend looking at the information on distressed furniture painting techniques on the website of Right Price Furniture.
For satisfaction?
However, I have to say that you need to establish why you want to make your own New England style furniture. If it's to satisfy your own creativity then go for it! The styles are fairly easy for anyone with a basic grasp of woodworking joints to produce. If you don't have any knowledge of woodwork then I recommend joining an evening class at your local college.
To save money?
If you want to make your own New England style furniture because you think its going to save you money, then be careful because the pros and cons of making your own versus buying ready-made furniture can be very finely balanced. Years ago I wanted some cheap bedroom furniture and being reasonably proficient at woodwork I looked at buying some cheap materials. I found to my surprise that the cost of buying the materials from my local DIY store was higher than the cost of buying a flat pack furniture item. However, all is not lost. With a little effort it is possible to 'make your own' New England furniture and save money.
The low cost solution
Many charity shops receive donations of unwanted furniture that they can't keep in their shops but do keep in warehouses not open to the public. It's worth asking if your local charity shop has secondhand furniture for sale cheap. Also it might be worth looking around for cheap furniture in junk shops. Don't buy someone else's old flat pack furniture - by the time you've invested money and effort in trying to revive it, it really isn't worth doing. Look for furniture that is traditionally made out of solid timber. Provided it hasn't been seriously damaged the joints can be reglued, the furniture can be cleaned, sanded and then painted to produce reasonably good furniture in a kind of New England style - remember the original New Englanders were puritans, so thrift or parsimony were prized virtues.
For more details on how to paint furniture, I recommend looking at the information on distressed furniture painting techniques on the website of Right Price Furniture.
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Why New England style?
New England is the North East region of the United States of America that was settled predominantly by English migrants during the 17th Century. It retained a distinct cultural identity as the United States expanded and even today is a unique part of that country.
So what were the factors that contributed to the 'New England' look in furniture and interiors? Well there are a couple of points to bear in mind. One is that the majority of the early settlers who created the New England identity, were Puritans - Christians who were opposed to the elaborate trappings, hierarchy and form of worship of the Roman Catholic Church. They chose a lifestyle characterised by hard work, simplicity and an avoidance of ostentation of any kind. This is reflected in the styles of furniture and architecture where function has priority over form at all times and ornamentation is avoided.
Pride was a sin, but devotion to duty, neatness and cleanliness were virtues to be encouraged and this further reinforced the crisp, neat character of furniture and dwellings and encouraged the use of paint (mainly white) to create clean surfaces.
A second influencing factor was that the majority of these people were from the coastal areas, such as the West Country and the East Coast. They were used to a lifestyle of farming supplemented with seafishing. This was in contrast to other, later, settlers in the USA who were from inland areas of Europe. Even today (though it is disappearing) the character and appearance of settlements in the coastal areas of Britain is different to that of the towns and villages to be found in inland areas.
So, for inspiration for the New England lifestyle, try touring around some of the older parts of coastal Britain. In Wales and the West Country, the availability of local stone produced neat, whitewashed stone cottages. In the South East and parts of the East coast an absence of stone resulted in cottages of timber. Common features in any of these locations were that it had to be able to withstand salt-laden coastal winds and the worst ravages of the weather. Small and neat or unfussy, tended to survive best so this became an integral part of any design.
So what were the factors that contributed to the 'New England' look in furniture and interiors? Well there are a couple of points to bear in mind. One is that the majority of the early settlers who created the New England identity, were Puritans - Christians who were opposed to the elaborate trappings, hierarchy and form of worship of the Roman Catholic Church. They chose a lifestyle characterised by hard work, simplicity and an avoidance of ostentation of any kind. This is reflected in the styles of furniture and architecture where function has priority over form at all times and ornamentation is avoided.
Pride was a sin, but devotion to duty, neatness and cleanliness were virtues to be encouraged and this further reinforced the crisp, neat character of furniture and dwellings and encouraged the use of paint (mainly white) to create clean surfaces.
A second influencing factor was that the majority of these people were from the coastal areas, such as the West Country and the East Coast. They were used to a lifestyle of farming supplemented with seafishing. This was in contrast to other, later, settlers in the USA who were from inland areas of Europe. Even today (though it is disappearing) the character and appearance of settlements in the coastal areas of Britain is different to that of the towns and villages to be found in inland areas.
So, for inspiration for the New England lifestyle, try touring around some of the older parts of coastal Britain. In Wales and the West Country, the availability of local stone produced neat, whitewashed stone cottages. In the South East and parts of the East coast an absence of stone resulted in cottages of timber. Common features in any of these locations were that it had to be able to withstand salt-laden coastal winds and the worst ravages of the weather. Small and neat or unfussy, tended to survive best so this became an integral part of any design.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Seasonal fluctuations for New England lifestyle?
It seems to me that some furniture styles rise or fall in popularity over very long periods - decades if you will - whereas some other styles of furniture change in popularity within less than a 12 month. New England style furniture seems to be very much in the second category.
The crisp, neat white painted offerings of so many manufacturers are pefect for capturing the feel of the seaside cottage - regardless of whether you actually live on the coast or far inland, such as in Oxfordshire. It is also a style that appeals to many during the first flurries of leaves falling from the trees in the autumn.
Understandably then, summer and autumn are popular periods for the New England 'look.' But given the short, dark, grey miserable days we have been enduring in this country for the past 5 months, the New England look has become a distant memory - eclipsed by the warmth and welcome of blazing log fires and furniture in rich, natural wood finishes.
Eventually (hopefully!) the brighter sunnier days of spring and summer will return and those who have ordered their white painted New England style furniture now, will be taking delivery of it at the perfect time of the year. Have a great summer!
The crisp, neat white painted offerings of so many manufacturers are pefect for capturing the feel of the seaside cottage - regardless of whether you actually live on the coast or far inland, such as in Oxfordshire. It is also a style that appeals to many during the first flurries of leaves falling from the trees in the autumn.
Understandably then, summer and autumn are popular periods for the New England 'look.' But given the short, dark, grey miserable days we have been enduring in this country for the past 5 months, the New England look has become a distant memory - eclipsed by the warmth and welcome of blazing log fires and furniture in rich, natural wood finishes.
Eventually (hopefully!) the brighter sunnier days of spring and summer will return and those who have ordered their white painted New England style furniture now, will be taking delivery of it at the perfect time of the year. Have a great summer!
Saturday, 9 January 2010
White Painted Furniture
One of the great benefits in having White Furniture is that it's fairly robust against current fashion, being such a neutral cover it's neither in fashion or our of fashion.
We've just discovered that there is a company called New England Lifestyle offering exactly this style of furniture throughout their site. Although the quality looks great they are very expensive so you might be best advised shopping around.
Painted Pine Furniture might have a few pointers on where to buy this sort of styled furniture.
We've just discovered that there is a company called New England Lifestyle offering exactly this style of furniture throughout their site. Although the quality looks great they are very expensive so you might be best advised shopping around.
Painted Pine Furniture might have a few pointers on where to buy this sort of styled furniture.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
A great discovery - unpainted, Pine Furniture!
At the weekend I was looking at some pine furniture and it was like meeting an old friend I hadn’t seen for some time. I’d forgotten just how new pine furniture can be so fresh and natural – add a few pebbles and some sisal rope and it feels like the seaside, but add a thick rug and a blazing log fire and it feels like a cabin in the mountains.
For a great choice of pine furniture in traditional and contemporary styles I’d look for pine furniture on Right Price furniture’s website. They have dozens of ranges of genuine solid pine furniture and Right Price Furniture is now one of the biggest and most trusted online furniture retailers in the UK.
For a great choice of pine furniture in traditional and contemporary styles I’d look for pine furniture on Right Price furniture’s website. They have dozens of ranges of genuine solid pine furniture and Right Price Furniture is now one of the biggest and most trusted online furniture retailers in the UK.
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