Customer Reviews

The Victorian Cabinet-Maker's Assistant: 417 Original Designs With Descriptions and Details of Construction

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I feel that I was mislead on this product, as there were no construction details that would enable me to design certain pieces of furniture.

My hobby is building furniture, and I prefer the more classic designs. To me, furniture should not consist of flat surfaces or stainless steel. It should be built of sensuous, attractive hardwood, and it should draw the eye with motion and detail. This book gives some excellent scale drawings of Victorian furniture, from tables and chairs to desks and mantles. The drawings contain superb clarity and provide a wealth of ideas for building furniture far better, and more interesting to the eye, and the "modern" variety built today. The first 3/4s of the book is primarily text, explaining to the 19th century woodworker how to draw, design, and select wood for their projects. If you work primarily with hand tools, you might find this useful, otherwise it's rather dated.

My copy is hopelessly dog-eared, it's the book I pull down most often when working on my own furniture designs. If you build furniture and like the Victorian, Edwardian, or Empire styles, this is a must-have. Find a copy and buy it!