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I began making Windsor chairs twenty years ago after making many ladder-backs and thousands of wooden pitchforks.  To me, the Windsor is the Stradivarius of chairs.  Wallace Nutting said "Windsor chairs are the most comfortable wooden chairs ever devised."  I think they are also the most beautiful, in a minimalist, functional way.  There's nothing extra, except perhaps carved scrolls and the more decorative turnings.

I find that every chair takes my best effort and attention to detail.  Use of the right woods and joinery leads to a wonderfully light, strong, and resilient structure.  Pine or basswood seats are carved deep for comfort.  Legs and backs are split from green hardwood following the grain for strength, then shaved, steam bent, or turned to final form.  The usual finish is milk paint with Danish oil or shellac.  I also make natural chairs of butternut, cherry, and oak.

My designs are traditional, using the best features from 200-year old chairs.  Customers often have their own ideas, and I enjoy working out design variations with them.  It keeps me inspired and on my toes.

Windsor Graduate School
I provide individual instruction for experienced chairmakers who want to make really fine chairs.  There is considerable attention to design, details, and methods.  The student can choose any Windsor style to make; tuition is the price of the chair.  I make a similar chair and we progress step-by-step, taking time to get things right.  A simple chair can take a week for someone with reasonable aptitude; however it is best to have an open-ended schedule.

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