New Handcrafted Furniture

NEW WORK

SLIPPER FOOT TABLE

A wooden dining table with a decorative edge and slender legs sits on a hardwood floor, surrounded by other chairs and furniture in the background.

ROCK GARDEN

Two garden shovels covered with soil rest in a wheelbarrow filled with dirt and small pieces of debris.

Extension Dining Table

Four wooden boards with mortise and tenon joints cut at the ends are arranged on a workbench next to a combination square.

Walnut Desk

A close-up view of wooden beams joined together using a traditional dovetail joint on a hardwood floor.

TWIN DRESSERS

Twin dressers are for a home under construction overlooking the Shenandoah valley of Virginia. The matched wide boards of 16' long, highly figured Curly Cherry will allow me to make a pair of truly matching twin dressers. 40" W x 22" D x 66" H.

Tall wooden dresser with ten drawers of varying sizes, set against a white fabric backdrop.

WALNUT SCONCE

A rectangular window with wooden trim shows a view of leafless trees, flanked by two wall-mounted lights with warm illumination.

A wall sconce with a grid-patterned metal frame and textured glass emits warm light between two windows.

Walnut, hand-made paper shade with leaves, hand-rubbed oil finish.
8" W x 12" H

WALNUT WINE CELLAR

SOLD

Wine rack holds up to 15 bottles of wine.

Arched panels of figured maple.

Wooden wine cabinet with open doors showing three shelves, each holding several bottles of wine, and a closed drawer above the shelves.

A close-up of wooden cabinet doors with contrasting light and dark wood grain patterns and a drawer above.

American Black Walnut and Marbled Maple

26" W x 20" D x 38" H $3895.

CURLY MAPLE BEDROOM

A bedroom with a wooden bed, yellow and pink striped bedding, a wooden wardrobe, and a dresser under a slanted ceiling with exposed beams. A large floral artwork hangs on the wall.

Kevin Stamp of Cheshire, United Kingdom has sent me a picture of the Curly Maple Bedroom I built for him. Kevin says:

"It is amazing how your furniture can be moved from a modern place in the USA to an old fishing port house built in 1721 and still look as if the furniture was purpose built just for that room.

The distorted beams you can see in the photos are original and are from ships masts. They are about 50 foot long and run right through the house."

FRIESEN-MANCUSO BED

A wooden bed frame with a high, curved headboard and a lower, slightly curved footboard, set against a plain white background.

Cherry Heartwood, Walnut pegs

Queen 72" W x 84" L x 56 H"

TREASURE CHEST

SOLD

A wooden chest with four drawers sits atop tall, slender legs against a neutral backdrop.

Pennsylvania Cherry, Big Leaf Maple, Sugar Maple, Walnut

30" W x 18" D x 42 H" $3695.

Close-up of a wooden dresser drawer with a curved handle, showing a distinctive wavy wood grain pattern.

A small wooden dresser with four drawers, featuring a wavy textured front and curved handles, placed on a wooden stand.

A wooden dresser with an open drawer featuring multiple compartments for organizing small items. The dresser has a light wood finish and four legs.

Hand-carved pulls.

Dovetails, Miters, and Mortise and Tenon Joints.

Lined drawers with dividers.

SPALTED MAPLE HALL TABLE

SOLD

A wooden console table with four legs, a light-colored top, and a lower shelf, set against a plain, light fabric backdrop.

The legs sit on ebonized feet, echoing the black lines in the spalted maple top.

A close-up view of a wooden table with a polished, light-colored, spalted maple top and darker wooden legs and lower shelf.

A thick top of Spalted Maple sits atop a frame and legs of American Black Walnut.

Spalted Maple and Walnut 15" W x 54"L x 36"H $ 2000.

RUTZAN BENCH

Sold

A wooden bench with a smooth, rectangular seat, visible joints, and sturdy legs, set against a plain white background.

A close-up of a wooden bench with visible joinery, showing the leg and part of the seat on a plain, white background.

A close-up view of a wooden birdhouse with a slanted roof, featuring three rectangular vents near the roof edge.

A wooden bench with a rectangular seat, exposed joinery details, and sturdy legs, set against a plain, light-colored backdrop.

A Cherry bench for the foyer. Trestle style design features splayed legs, pierced with a stretcher secured by maple keys. Through-tenons adorn the top, ornamented with walnut splines.

MAPLE AND VANITY AND MIRROR

Light wood bathroom vanity with a rectangular sink, a large mirror cabinet above, two wall sconces, and a towel ring with a towel on the right side.

A bathroom vanity and medicine cabinet are made of Curly Hard Maple, adorned with brushed nickel pulls.

HEARNE CHEST OF DRAWERS

Sold

Close-up view of a wooden dresser featuring dovetail joints on the top edge and a polished, light wood grain finish.

Brian Hearne of Hearne Hardwoods asked me to build a chest of drawers from a selection of astonishing Birdseye Maple from his personal collection of highly figured hardwood lumber. Dark streaks of heartwood swirl across the top of the chest, and cascade down the chest sides.

Light wood dresser with nine drawers of varying sizes, each with a round metal knob, set against a plain background.

Close-up view of a wooden dresser with six drawers, each featuring round metal knobs, showcasing a light wood grain finish.

The drawer fronts are book-matched boards of white Maple sapwood, splashed with countless Birdseye swirls on a background of undulating curly grain.

CHERRY CHAIRS

Several large wooden boards are stacked in the bed of a pickup truck with the tailgate down, partially covered by tarps.

Rough Cherry wood destined to become a set of four dining chairs. A lucky find after a long search, these boards are from the same log. Solid red heartwood through and through, these beautiful boards range up to 21" wide, perfect for single board seats.

A set of four Cherry Arm Chairs are being carved out of the solid Cherry planks pictured above. Curved back slats of Curly Maple contrast with the darker Cherry frame of the chairs. Delicately curved arms will be sculpted out of 2" thick blanks shown in this photo. The seats will be carved out to accommodate the human anatomy.

The finished chairs are pictured below.

A wooden chair under construction is clamped to a workbench in a workshop, with various woodworking tools and materials visible in the background.

A wooden armchair with a tall, slatted backrest, curved seat, and angled legs, positioned in front of a draped fabric background.

Wooden armchair with a slightly reclined backrest, angled legs, and a simple, modern design, set against a plain, light-colored fabric backdrop.

A wooden armchair with a slatted backrest and contoured seat, positioned on a neutral fabric backdrop.

A wooden armchair with a high slatted back, curved armrests, and a contoured seat, set against a draped white fabric background.

Wooden chair with vertical slats on the backrest, curved arms, and tapered legs, shown against a plain white backdrop.

Wooden chair with a high backrest and armrests, featuring a natural wood finish, photographed against a plain white fabric backdrop.

Wooden armchair with a high slatted back, sculpted seat, and curved armrests, placed in front of a draped light-colored fabric background.

MAPLE AND CHERRY CARD TABLE

Sold

A wooden table with four legs stands on a white fabric backdrop.

Highly figured Hard Maple makes a table top sitting on curved legs of solid Cherry heartwood. Slightly curved table edges are reflected in curved Cherry aprons.

42" X 42" X 30" H

KITCHEN CABINETS

A living room with wooden furniture opens into a kitchen with wooden cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a mat on the floor.

Curly Cherry and Spalted Maple are fashioned into a unique, hand-crafted kitchen full of doors and drawers of solid wood.

more pictures...

FINE WOODWORKING, August 2005

A handcrafted wooden bench with a curved seat and tall vertical back slats is featured next to an article titled "The virtues of Black.

Magazine page featuring two walnut wood furniture pieces: a tall cabinet on slender legs and a low dresser with ornate drawers and handles, accompanied by descriptive text.

Fine Woodworking Magazine illustrates an article on American Black Walnut with a photo of my Walnut "Firebird" Chest in the August 2005 issue.

That's a bench by George Nakashima on the left, an 18th century chest reproduction by Nick Colt below, and a Krenov-style chest-on-legs by Michael Seward on the right.

DEMILUNE TABLE

Multiple clamps hold wooden pieces in a curved arrangement, likely for gluing or shaping during a woodworking project.

A wooden demilune table with four straight legs, shown against a plain white background.

Curly Cherry, aniline dye, hand-rubbed oil finish.
13" D x 36" W x 32" H

SAMSON WALNUT TRESTLE TABLE

Several large, rough-cut wooden slabs are laid out on a paved surface outdoors, with a forklift visible in the background.

Walnut planks will become a Trestle Table featuring the natural edge of the tree.

more pictures

MASON DINING TABLE AND CHAIRS

A round wooden dining table set for four with plates, cutlery, napkins, and a selection of food including bread, cheese, grapes, and spreads in a sunlit room.

Walnut

48" Diameter extension table. Four Armchairs with upholstered seats.

Figured Cherry with Birdseye Maple and Curly Maple with Black Walnut pegs.

22" W x 14" D x 42" H

A wooden lectern with an open book on top and two closed books on a lower shelf, placed against a stone wall.

MASON-RADOWICH
LIBRARY DESK

This desk is designed to hold an open dictionary or reference book at a comfortable height for reading while standing.

This standing desk features beautiful highly figured Curly Cherry, with a Birdseye Maple panel in the top, and a curly maple lip to hold a book on the slanted desk lid.

HOPE CHEST This Cherry chest features a bottom drawer,
a pull-out tray, tapered sides, and a curved breadboard top
of curly Cherry.

24" D x 42" L x 26" H

A wooden chest with a hinged lid, dovetail joints, two side handles, and a front drawer, set against a plain backdrop.

A wooden chest with an open hinged lid and a drawer at the bottom, set against a plain backdrop.

CHERRY SIDE TABLES

A matched pair of Curly Cherry side tables features Hard Maple drawer sides, brass hardware shelf, and curved legs.

20" D x 24" W x 26" H

Wooden bedside table with a single drawer, metal handle, and lower shelf, placed on a light fabric backdrop.

Two wooden side tables with single drawers and lower shelves, placed on a white cloth background.

Close-up of a wooden table featuring a single drawer with a metal handle and keyhole, highlighting the wood grain pattern.

CONTACT MICHAEL SEWARD

NEW WORK ARCHIVE

The Legacy of Michael Seward

The Legacy of Michael Seward

NEW WORK