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Reclaiming
the Virgin Forests of New England
Chris and
Steve Staples spent much of their time as teenagers fixing up antique
furniture they found at yard sales, auctions or pieces given to them by
family members. Their hobby
turned into a business in 1973 restoring antique furniture.
It expanded into antiques and fine furniture reproduction from 1981
to 1987. The building boom
was on in the 1980’s and the Staples were approached to do custom
architectural millwork. The
couple decided to jump in with both feet and specialized in custom doors and
windows. Their work can be found
in the windows of the renovated South Station in Boston, 17 different
entryways on the campus of Boston University and many other restored
buildings in and around Boston.
Recycling:
Today Staples Cabinet Makers is focusing again on crafting fine
furniture but this time using reclaimed lumber from the homesteads of New
England, old doors, floors, house shutters and antique fragments.
Steve Staples, essentially, is recycling the past to enjoy
in the future. Chris
Staples is proud to say that she is Steve’s business manager.
“I prefer to handle the multitude of tasks of running the business
so that Steve can focus on his art of creating very unique furniture that
our customers can enjoy for generations to come.”
Farm
Tables: Staples Cabinet
Makers have become famous for their unique farm tables made 5’ to 10’
long. The old boards used in
Staples’ farm tables draw you in and allow you to imagine the history that
went on around them. Staples
said, “The character and charm of old wood is unbeatable.
I always present the aged surface enhancing the rich texture of the
knots, ripples and nicks. I’ve
heard people say, “If only the wood could talk.”
I believe it does if you know how to listen.
That’s what I love about our tabletops.
There are never two alike”. You
may see one with a striped pattern where the tabletop was once a wall in a
circa 1750 house. The striped
pattern is where the plaster bleached the wallboards as it flowed over the
lath boards. You may also see a
shadow of a stair riser now separated from its wall.
Staples uses “Dutchmen”, a bowtie shaped piece of wood, as
patches in his tables that adds to the tabletop’s splendor.
The table legs are hand turned by Staples on his lathe.
“I don’t use calipers”, said Staples “I think the slight
variances in the legs are welcomed by the eye in a world where everything is
just like everything else.” Staples’
tables have been sent as far off as New York, Illinois, Florida, Oregon,
California and Wyoming.
Cupboards: Unique
antique doors, shutters, windows and panels are the focal points of
Staples’ cupboards. Staples is
currently building a cupboard incorporating an old gate as a door.
“I consider the door as the art form that we frame with
function”, Staples said. They
also use their wonderful doors to build entertainment centers.
Even though the cupboard itself is made from new wood, most observers
wouldn’t know. Staples studied
painted finishes for years and is a master of “texture”.
He developed his own texture formula over 20 years ago that he adds
to paint. Once the paint is
applied, he rubs the paint off in all the right places where it would have
been worn from years of use. Staples
lovingly refers to this process as the “embellishments of time.
Each piece of furniture Staples makes is a “work of
art”, “a labor of love” that is branded, labeled and signed by Stephen
C. Staples, Artist Craftsman.
Staples Cabinet Makers is located in the rear of the
old Whiting & Davis factory building at 23 West Bacon Street in
Plainville, Massachusetts. You
are encouraged to check out their website at www.StaplesCabinetMakers.com
to get more information on the company, its creator, pictures of their
furniture and directions. The
company store is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 11 to 5 and Sundays 12 to
5. The cabinet shop is open for
tours on weekends. It’s fun to
see creativity unfold as once discarded items are given a second life!
The phone number is 508-695-1155 |
