Handcrafted Shaker, Modern, Primitive Furniture

I have designed and built about 1000 pieces of furniture with my parents, and on my own. I worked with my parents, at Vermont Clock Co. and Mcguire Family Furniture Makers for 20 years. I have built Shaker Furniture for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift Shop, and people from all walks of life. After 30 years of building furniture, I don’t think I will ever be tired of going into the workshop, creating a product which will be cherished by a family. I learn something new every day. One gift, I will always hold close to my heart, the knowledge which was passed down to me from my parents. Living in a house full of early antiques, was a learning tool for style, proportion and joinery. michaelmcguiredesign@gmail.com

Handcrafted Shaker Inspired Tall Post beds

I make a line of beds, i also custom make beds!

I have handcrafted 100’s of beds. I offer six different bed styles. All of my beds are made with 1-3/4” thick side, head and foot rails. The bed posts are solid 3” stock, which I join to 2-3/4” square. I don’t glue up for my bed post stock. The bed in the picture is my Shaker Inspired bed, tapered below and above rails. Bed bolts inserted through the post hole lock into a nut which is within the rail, this construction is a historic means of solidly affixing a bed post to a rail, allowing the bed to be taken apart. In the picture you can see the Brass bed bolt cover, which is a decorative cover for the bed bolt. I also make bed bolt covers in the same wood the bed is produced in. The beds are offered as a platform setup or “box spring and mattress setup (shown in picture)”. The center support is added for Queen and King Size Beds. More Examples

Handcrafted Tables

I design and make custom tables and chairs! I make all types of Tables and Chairs from Shaker, Queen anne to contemporary

A fine example of a custom table and chairs. All of my chairs I make with a square shouldered mortise and tenon. These chairs in the picture were designed by a client. I use Premium wood for all of my projects and can even buy “Matched Sets” of lumber for an extra cost. I design in house or work from your designs, anything is possible. I make all types of chairs and tables, from Early American to Modern.

Handcrafted Console Tables, Hall Tables, Sofa Tables

I have a group of console, hall and sofa tables i make, plus custom tables.

Exceptional, refined and a “work of art” are just a few comments, I get from the console tables I designed and handcrafted. This simple console table is made from Mahogany. I dovetail all of my drawers and use a contrasting wood for the secondary woods. I make console tables with Turned legs or Tapered legs. I will be adding more examples in the future.

Night Stands and Cocktail Tables

i have modeled a lot of my furniture from Shaker Handcrafted furniture

Made from Mahogany and Ebonized, these two night stands, I designed for a client to accompany a Mahogany dresser. Designed with a separate, floating base and a blind drawer, this was an exceptional set. Pure to my high level of craftsmanship, the dovetailed drawers were made from White Ash, showcasing the dovetail joinery in contrast to dark Mahogany. I love to use Ash as a secondary wood, the full grain and blonde wood makes for a good combination.

Shaker Servers and Buffets

shaker handcrafted buffet

Mortise and tenon doors and dovetailed drawers, make this piece real special. I am one of those purists, who still makes doors the old-fashioned way, with a true mortise and tenon. I can’t tell you how many people have stopped at my workshop or my parent’s workshop and asked me to fix a cabinet door, which wouldn’t have to be fixed if a tenon and mortise was used instead of the mass produced “cope and stick”! This Shaker handcrafted buffet is shown in oiled Cherry. I use a Tung oil finish on all of my Natural wood products. It is an easy finish for a client to rejuvenate in the future.

More Examples Coming soon, working on website!

Handcrafted chairs

Hand crafted Chairs, One of my favorite pieces of furniture to make.

This chair I call my “#4 Chair”. I make it in an Armchair or Side Chair. Often ordered 2 Arms and 6 Sides. The Chair is a square seated chair, actually the only chair, I make that doesn’t have a trapezoid shaped seat. Like all of my products, I design and build with Period Joinery, it’s proven to be the best construction. My modern styled furniture, utilizes this simple but effective joinery. I use glue blocking on the interior of all of my chairs. I design most of my chairs with a robust seat rail and solid wood legs with no glued up leg stock.

Handcrafted Cupboards

I make Handcrafted Shaker, Country Primitive, formal, Modern hutches and cupboards

A variety of styles and wood choices makes for a special cupboard. I say “cupboard” for a case piece which stores items with doors and drawers, which is often called a hutch. For instance, the Natural Oiled piece in the picture is a Step Back Cupboard, perhaps an Eastern New England term for a Cabinet with a base unit and a top unit which is set back from the face of the lower unit. This example is one of many iterations of this Shaker Inspired Cupboard. I make this piece in Chippendale Style, Shaker, Primitive and Sheraton.

More Examples