The Custom Furniture Sourcebook: A Guide to 125 Craftsmen [Paperback]

Kerry Pierce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2001

Sitting down to a custom-built dining table, or storing linens in a truly unique armoire...it's a dream for people who embrace quality and custom woodworking. But if you don't have the skills, tools, or time to make it yourself, where can you get it.? This book will answer any questions a reader may have about purchasing and/or commissioning custom pieces. It tells where to find furniture and how much one can expect to pay for it. The 125 furniture makers listed were chosen by an independent jury of some of the country's top craftsmen. This is a truly unique reference book for anyone interested in bringing beautiful, one-of-a-kind furnishings into their homes.
-- More than 500 photos showcase beautiful pieces of furniture.
-- Includes details about each maker's work and contact information.
-- Indexed by geographic location, type of furniture, and maker.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Whether you are a homeowner seeking inspiration, an interior decorator seeking information, or a woodworker seeking direction, these crafters' profiles (mostly well-produced photographs) should meet all your needs. Featured here are some of the small shops that could be next door or down the road but might be overlooked in a headlong rush to the better-known (or better-advertised) shops. Pierce, a woodworker for more than 20 years and author of three other volumes, succeeds mightily here. In an introduction, a short primer, and then the alphabetical presentation of the shops, these profiles represent some of the best craft available in the United States today. Pieces are titled, woods described, contact information provided, and deposit and shipping information given. Additionally and significantly, Pierce has made considerable effort to index the craftsmen by area and style, a rare but useful inclusion. Taunton, long known for its fine books in this area, scores another hit here. A joy to behold; recommended. Alex Hartmann, INFOPHILE, Williamsport, PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (September 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561584312
• ISBN-13: 978-1561584314
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #991,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After earning a bachelor's degree in English from Bowling Green State University (and later a master's in art from Ohio University, Kerry Pierce simultaneously began two careers, working for 32 years as a teacher of secondary English and working for 35 years as a furniture maker and writer specializing in Shaker and Shaker-inspired work. He's the author of 18 books, five of which focus on Shaker furniture and woodenware. One of the most recent of these-- "Pleasant Hill Shaker Furniture"-- is the first book-length study of that community's melding of the Shaker aesthetic and the rural traditions of Kentucky furniture. The most recent of his Shaker titles is "Storage and Shelving the Shaker Way", the first book-length presentation of the ingenious methods by which Shaker craftsmen brought order to their physical world. His next book-- "Hand Planes in the Modern Shop"-- will be published in the Fall of 2010.

Two of his Shaker titles--"Pleasant Hill Shaker Furniture" and "Making Shaker Woodenware"--have been translated into German.

Positive reviews of his books--in particular "The Custom Furniture Sourcebook" and "Pleasant Hill Shaker Furniture"--have appeared in The Columbus Dispatch, The Chicago Daily Herald, and many other other papers. In addition positive reviews have appeared in Woodshop News, Popular Woodworking, Library Journal, Canadian Woodworking and other magazines. They have also received positive reviews in many web publications.

Twenty-two of his 150+ magazine articles (for Woodwork, Popular Woodworking, Woodcraft, Woodshop News, and The Woodworker's Journal and others) focus on this genre of woodworking.

He served as Contributing Editor of Woodwork magazine from 1995-2007.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very inspiring to my own work!, December 3, 2001

By 

Jeff from Boston (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Custom Furniture Sourcebook: A Guide to 125 Craftsmen (Paperback)

(I looked over this book in the store, and hope to get it for Christmas)

Lots of great pictures! If you are a long time Fine Woodworking reader you will recognize many of them. However, you notice other nuances when they are placed with unseen pictures of the craftsman's other work.

The wide variety of styles is very useful for forming your own sense of design and proportion. You see traces of James Krenov's style on many pages. I found it more useful and inspiring than Taunton's Design Book series.

If you were looking to hire somone to make you a custom piece I suspect this book would be quite a help, but I'm looking at it as more of a survey of current work. I plan to use it to help refine where I want to go with my own furniture design and woodworking.

-Jeff

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Photos, February 9, 2005

By 

David C. Brayton (Healdsburg, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Custom Furniture Sourcebook: A Guide to 125 Craftsmen (Paperback)

I'm a woodworker, so when I was at the local tool store, I started thumbing through this book. The book is a wonderful survey of current woodworking. I saw lots of stuff that I'd love to build. When I saw a certain floor lamp very much like one I have been mentally designing, I bought the book.

This book can best be described as fancy, "glossy catalog."

One very helpful item is a summary of the 'terms and conditions' of the various craftspersons--required deposit, lead times, whether there is a charge for design work, etc. Apparently, I might be able to ask for (and receive) more from my clients.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful !, April 19, 2002

By 

Kelley Hunt (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Custom Furniture Sourcebook: A Guide to 125 Craftsmen (Paperback)

I love this book. It is filled with beautiful, unique pieces of furniture. There are a few extreme designs, but most of the pieces you could imagine having in your own home. All of the pictures are in color and a good size so you can see the details clearly. Besides giving the names and postal addresses of the craftsmen, the author also furnishes websites and email addresses for many of them. In the back there is a regional index and a style index which are both very useful. Even though this book is paperback, I think it would make a great coffee table book because every aspect of it is beautifully designed; the text, the photographs and the layout.