North Woods Chair Shop

The shortest distance between form and function is the straight line. After several distinct periods of experimentation, in the end Picasso communicated all that he felt necessary with a single brush-stroke. If the meaning of the Shaker song title, "Tis a Gift to be Simple", requires no elaboration for you, you might find the products of the North Woods Chair Shop to be gifts. The Company was formed in 1980 by Brian Braskie and Lenore Howe. Their collaborative efforts since have been clearly influenced by the Shaker Eldresses whom they were privileged to know. Their work does not require an owner's manual. It does not shriek or assault the senses, nor is it veiled in hidden meaning. Their chairs, their tables, and their casepieces suggest in perfectly audible tones that the work is intended to be accessible and used; and that it is created with intelligence, warmth and in the spirit of inclusion. People from around the world seeking enduring style and simplicity, as opposed to fashion or egotistical elaboration, have chosen to include the work of Brian and Lenore in their collections. The couple live and work together in a nineteenth century farmhouse on an unpaved road in Canterbury. They have won recognition from Early American Life Magazine for the last 10 years with inclusion in their Annual Directory of the 200 Best Traditional Craftsmen; and, in 1993 their work was chosen for the cover photo. They have won numerous awards for the quality of their work and were two of the six founders of the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association. Their furniture has also appeared on the covers of Home Magazine and New Hampshire Home Magazine. For directions to our showroom, call us. We have regular hours: weekdays 12:30 - 4:30 and Saturdays from 9-1 or by appointment. If you would like a printed catalog, send us three dollars with your mail address to cover cost of printing and postage.