Friday, February 19, 2010

Field trip: Staples Cabinet Makers

Serendipity. My favorite word.

I wasn't searching for anything for the breakfast room. Kitchen, yes. Bathroom, yes. Plenty of items to research. But one day, I was browsing through the Staples Cabinet Makers web site, and found an absolutely perfect something for our space. So one early afternoon, we took a field trip to their showroom located in Plainville, MA.

Owned by Stephen and Christine Staples, Staples Cabinet Makers is a small firm that focuses on handcrafting rustic, heirloom-quality pieces of furniture. Many of their pieces incorporate reclaimed lumber and industrial parts. These eco-friendly materials are revisioned into useful, sturdy, beautiful pieces such as these.





And yet, photos can't convey how incredibly beautiful and tactile these pieces are. As I passed a tiger maple dining table, I ran my hands gently over its top. Its surface felt silky, undulating like the finest, most luxurious fabric. Their reclaimed pieces offer gorgeous patina with an amazingly touchable finish. Not rough. Not plasticky. Just perfect.

You could easily picture the pieces in a design magazine spread. I especially loved the inclusion of unexpected details, repurposed parts from various machines and industrial originals.



Stephen and Christine warmly welcomed us and offered a tour of their workshop. This expansive space holds projects in varying stages of completion, an abundance of raw materials and reclaimed parts, and an amazing collection of hand tools and larger machines, including a leather belt-driven lathe built in 1902.





Pictured is Stephen with one of his hand-turned bowls, small pieces of art in themselves.



In addition to their larger pieces, Staples Cabinet Makers also offers smaller decorative pieces such as mirrors, wall cupboards, and collectibles. They're currently running a Spring Sale with 15% off all items in their showroom and 10% off made-to-order pieces from many stock designs. I look forward to having one of their pieces in my home someday.

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