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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 16, 2010
Back in 1881, Leighton G. Fullam, a Vermont farmer became interested in the lumber industry. He bought a large tract of land in Plymouth, now famous as the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States.
Fullam started up a sawmill on the property to make lumber from the trees he harvested there. In 1889, Fullam went from making lumber to making furniture from his lumber. He and his son, Herman, set up in a blacksmith shop near their home in Ludlow, not far from the sawmill. By 1892, the demand for Fullam & Sons rocking chairs pushed them to increase production and their facility. Seven years later, Fullam had a staff of 30 craftsmen who turned out 150-200 rocking chairs a day—an impressive number even by today’s standards, but even more so when you consider that these woodworkers did not have sophisticated machinery to help them meet their goals.
A craftsman, businessman, farmer, and visionary, Fullam was a unique combination of Yankee ingenuity and entrepreneurship. He identified opportunities and worked his way through challenges. He managed to start a business, make it grow, and find markets around the country when both advertising and shipping were quite a challenge.
I’m heading down to my workshop now to build a rocking chair for one of my customers. And I will channel the spirit of fellow Vermont furniture maker Leighton G. Fullam every step of the way.
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.
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!
October 25, 2009
There’s nothing as beautiful as a table top in finely honed hardwood. I’ve probably hand-crafted hundreds of them in my career, and I never get tired of the result.
Now that doesn’t mean I turn my back on other natural materials that make fantastic table tops. Granite, slate, glass, and marble each provide a cool contrast to the natural warmth of wood. Here in Vermont, there is no shortage of slate, granite, or marble, but we can get stone from all around the world, which means you have a broad array of colors and textures — all naturally beautiful and durable.
If you like the appearance of glass, to blend in with the surroundings and showcase the wood, you still have choices. Although we’re committed to using tempered glass for your safety, there are variations in the glass itself.
And these surfaces aren’t limited to table tops. Consider incorporating glass or stone for the tops of dressers, occasional tables, breakfronts, buffets, and desks.
Here is dining table we recently designed and crafted. The style is the ClearLake Dining Table and the top is made in cherry with a mahogany inlay and slate inset.
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