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March 28, 2010
 Winter has returned to ClearLake Furniture—not the season but a craftsman. Justin Winter, a skilled woodworker, spent a few months here in the ClearLake workshop while on hiatus from his college education. He left in December after helping us to make progress on the 62 dining tables we were building for the Taft School in Connecticut. Justin is a student at the Boston School of Architecture but took some time off to earn the necessary money to finish his degree.
Justin recently designed and crafted a blanket chest here. The curly maple chest has a bubinga inlay on the top and drawer. He then lined the chest with aromatic cedar. His meticulous attention to detail is evident when you look closely at the craftsmanship.
A talented designer, Justin has proven to be a valuable craftsman. And, while we’re thrilled to see him back here, we hope it will be temporary because he is absolutely on his way to being a successful architect.
March 9, 2010
When we’re expecting company at home, I usually give the place a quick look and declare to my wife that all looks good. It’s clean enough. She, on the other hand, flies from room to room like a tornado, sucking up everything in her path in a quest to tidy up our surroundings. I always figure that anyone who comes to visit should see us in our natural habitat. We’re not really messy but we don’t hold our breath waiting to be featured on the cover of House Beautiful either.
Guys just don’t see clutter. We don’t see crumbs on the kitchen counter and we know better than to look under the furniture and sofa cushions—unless the remote control has vanished. We don’t “do” embroidered guest towels or panic that someone might find a dirty dish in the sink. We eat, therefore, we make dirty dishes. It’s a fact of life.
But not long ago, I decided to open up my workshop at ClearLake Furniture. This July, I’m going to teach whoever is interested how to make a rocking chair. Students of this weekend class will actually craft a classic, lodge-style rocking chair. I’ve never had anyone use this equipment other than my team of skilled craftsmen. Sure, we have customers tour the workshop every day, but this time, they’ll be working, not watching.
So, I’m starting to understand my wife’s pre-visit angst. I’ve got lots of time to get ready for the “guests” but I’m already looking at ways to fix up the place. There are things you overlook in the day-to-day world when you go through the paces. In the workshop, you always know where everything is. You know the subtleties of the tools, what makes a piece of wood the right choice, and where every bump in the floor is lurking. You take it all for granted. Now I’m thinking that maybe I need to assume some of the primping here in the workshop that I always mocked at home. Guests are coming and they’re going to stay awhile.
My mother used to say to my brother and me, “You weren’t raised in a barn!” Well, even though my guests will actually be working in the barn we converted into ClearLake Furniture, I guess Mom’s words—and my wife’s tidiness—will have to take precedence over my guy rules…for one weekend, at least.
March 4, 2010
Black River High School here in Ludlow, Vermont, has a winning tradition, as evidenced by the trophies in their lobby. Year after year, the championships piled up, and so were the trophies in the cases.
Then the Class of 2009 decided to donate a trophy case so the awards could be displayed without so much crowding. The problem was, they needed a size that would fit in the critical space between two doors AND match the existing cabinets. The response from manufacturers was not what they hoped. Basically, off the rack was out of the question.
When we heard about the dilemma here at ClearLake Furniture, we decided to support the home team and hand-craft a trophy case that would meet their needs. We built it to fit perfectly in the space allowed, matched the red oak, and even used safety glass in place of plexi, which scratches too easily.
I’m proud to say this cabinet was delivered and installed yesterday. Now, the latest BRHS trophy—Vermont State Champions, Boy Varsity Soccer, Division IV—can join their championship awards for this title for the previous two years, along with the three consecutive titles for the Girls Varsity Soccer, the three consecutive state titles for Varsity Softball, and the state titles for Snowboard and Varsity Baseball. Go, Pirates!
February 14, 2010
From 1889 to 1909, L.G. Fullam & Sons crafted a line of wooden rocking chairs not far from our ClearLake Furniture workshop here in Ludlow, Vermont. These hardwood rockers featured a high back, with reed and rattan seats, and were known for their comfort. In its 20-year history, the company manufacturer tens of thousands of their popular rockers, in about 50 different styles. But, today, we are hard-pressed to find an original.
This summer, the Black River Academy Museum (BRAM) and ClearLake Furniture will be celebrating both Fullam & Sons and their rocking chairs. The only trouble is, we can’t find enough chairs to exhibit!
If you have a wooden rocking chair, please take a look under the arms to see if there is a Fullam company stamp. If you have an original, can we borrow it for a short time for this summer’s exhibit? We’ll make arrangements for safe shipping to and from the museum.
Please contact Georgia Brehm, BRAM Director, or me, and send along a photo of your Fullam rocker.
February 13, 2010
October 27, 2009
Sounds like a children’s book, doesn’t it? Well, the Golden Ratio, also known as the Golden Rectangle, is called an irrational mathematical constant that has baffled even the most brilliant mathematicians all the way back to the Ancient Greeks. It exists in architecture (the Parthenon, the Great Pyramids), in art (DaVinci’s studies of the human form and perhaps even the Mona Lisa), and nature (Fibonacci sequence in pine cones, flowers, and more). I won’t even attempt to explain the Golden Ratio, but I applied this formula to a furniture project that had been on my mind for a long time: a shoji screen.
What is an ancient Japanese design doing in a Vermont workshop? For a long time, I’ve been fascinated by the shoji screen, those beautiful dividers with opaque panels that let the light shine through. I like the way a shoji screen can create a “sub-space” in a room. A shoji can be a sliding door, a wall, or a folding screen. Whatever the size, the goal is to partition the space rather than close it off entirely.
With the popularity of the Serenity Collection, which has an Eastern influence, I decided it was time to put my shoji ideas on the drawing board.
It took some tweaking, resizing, and working with joinery ideas. Traditional shoji screens use rice paper because of its opacity. I wanted something more durable. I chose kojo paper, which is tissue thin, and then coated and laminated.
We displayed this new screen at a fine furniture show in Woodstock, Vermont, in September, with a great response! Whether or not you incorporate Eastern culture or Japanese accents in your decor, a shoji screen can add interest as a divider or backdrop. Or create an instant guest room! Like everything else we hand-craft here, your shoji screen will be a one-of-a-kind piece, made in your choice of wood and panel material. If you’re interested in being one of the first to have a Shoji Screen from ClearLake Furniture, send me an email!
September 20, 2009
Our marketing maven Sue has been bugging me to write more about our upholstery. She says people don’t realize that we also sell upholstered furniture that reflects the same quality of our custom-crafted hardwood pieces.
Maybe I spend so much time in the workshop beneath our showroom that I don’t see these pieces coming and going so quickly. I know the upholstered furniture is wonderful, even though I’m not usually permitted to sit in it because of my sawdust-covered pants.
Since Sue is also a customer, I suggested that she should stop nagging me and use that energy to write about our collection of Smith Brothers Upholstery furniture herself so I could get back to the workshop, So, here is what she gave me:
Our family purchased a new recliner from ClearLake Furniture for my 85 year-old father for Christmas. He was thrilled to get a replacement for the tired, old chair in which he has been spending his days, where he eats, watches (and yells at) the television, and snuggles his beloved poodle. I think my mother was even happier to see that old chair go to a local charity. But let me tell you about the process of getting this chair, because I think THIS is what truly distinguishes ClearLake Furniture from its competitors:
- Hannah took the time to help me choose the chair and showed me the exceptional construction of both the frame and the cushions. Then she guided me through the fabric choice, wisely helping me pull out swatches that reflected the wall colors and other pieces in the living room so we could find the fabric that would work the best. She was fantastic!
- Once I ordered the chair, Barbara stayed in touch and let me know when it arrived at the shop — a week earlier than expected! She went to great pains to coordinate the shipping with me.
- The delivery men showed up right on time. That, in itself, is a phenomenon in these days of “we’ll be there between noon and whenever.” They were very careful with the chair and extremely friendly, even after the long day they had already endured.
ClearLake Furniture is not just a furniture maker. You are a team of highly talented professionals who make the experience more memorable!
Here’s one more compliment for you. Both my sister and sister-in-law said the recliner was so beautiful that they would want it in THEIR homes — and if you knew how picky both of these women are, you’d know this is the highest compliment!
So, when re you going to start telling the world about your wonderful upholstered furniture???
Thanks, Sue, I think you just did!
August 13, 2009
July 29, 2009
There are a lot of comings and goings in our ClearLake Furniture showroom, particularly with our upholstered pieces, which come in on an almost weekly basis, but then disappear from the showroom with equal speed.
Smith Brothers of Berne’s upholstery has proven to be the right addition to our furniture “family”. When we were looking to expand our choices in this area, we looked at a lot of companies but none came so close to our own business mission as Smith Brothers. The quality craftsmanship, timeless designs, and attention to detail and personal service were a solid match with our own.
We looked at many companies and got a lesson in furniture buying! There is a vast difference in the construction of upholstered furniture, just like with hardwood pieces. But at least with our hardwood furniture, you can see every bit of the construction. With upholstery, you can be so easily distracted by the fabric and style that you might miss some of the simple flaws.
Here’s what I like about Smith Brothers of Berne and, more importantly, why YOU should, too:
- The frames are made of kiln-dried hardwood maple to resist warping, which can occur from household humidity.
- Smith Brothers’ coil spring suspension is machine-tied for maximum durability.
- The suspension features an elevated front support edge for better sitting and longer life.
- Each seat is individually supported and floated over the frame.
- The legs are built-in so they won’t loosen or break.
- The back and seat cushions are polyester-wrapped, which adds plushness and prevents the covers from slipping around the foam core.
When you’re shopping for upholstered furniture, be sure to compare these features with the pieces you’re considering. And if they can’t offer a lifetime warranty, be sure to ask why!
The economy has grasped businesses in a stranglehold that is choking the life and breath out of our sense of security. Every day, the news headlines have a depressing array of more announcements of layoffs and business closures. We’ve seen starving businesses respond with drastic reductions, slashing their profits in order to keep their doors open a little bit longer.
I don’t think the answer is to do business more cheaply. We should be doing it better. We are all working as hard as we can, so perhaps we just need to work smarter.
What does that mean? Well, we need to focus on doing our jobs without distractions or shortcuts, to forge ahead with innovations that will continue to improve our products and services, and keep our eyes on our number one priority: you, the customer.
I believe the best thing we can do for our customers is to look at what you need for your home or office, and to then provide you with the quality that lasts a lifetime. The way I see ClearLake Furniture it is our job to:
- Live up to your standards of excellence — and then exceed them with furniture that is crafted to your liking and built with only the best materials, by highly skilled artisans.
- Continue to create new designs for fine hardwood furniture that meets your need for function and your desire for style.
- Help you to customize your furniture with your choice of materials, sizes, and details so that you get exactly what you want.
- Communicate with you throughout the process of crafting your furniture so that you know how it’s progressing and when it will be delivered to you.
- Coordinate delivery that is convenient for you!
- Back up everything we build with the guarantee of your 100% satisfaction.
- Be your resource for solutions about your furniture, its maintenance, your decorating challenges, and other needs we can meet.
- Respect your concerns, welcome your inquiries and address your requests promptly, courteously, and professionally at all times.
If you ever feel we have not lived up to any of these responsibilities, please email me at brent@clearlakefurniture.com. And if we’ve done a good job for you, feel free to let me know that, too!
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