Somebody with really good taste features this dining set on his website:
The chairs appear to be J.L. Treharn Chippendale. What can you tell me about the table?
Thanks.
Printable View
Somebody with really good taste features this dining set on his website:
The chairs appear to be J.L. Treharn Chippendale. What can you tell me about the table?
Thanks.
Oh my gosh, that's a REALLY old photo. That's a set we did about 15 years ago, made by a man named Doug St. Clair of Chambersburg, PA. He and I came up with those designs in the early 1990's after pouring over originals, with the intent to make an affordable grouping (relatively speaking) that was done correctly. We sold everything we could make, then one day I was at Doug's place loading up and he had difficulty assisting me in carrying the a table like you see into the truck. We were both in our early 40's and that was not a difficult lift. Turns out that was the first sign of ALS (Lou Gehrig's) and within 9 months Doug could no longer make furniture. He passed away from ALS in 1999 or 2000, the exact date escapes me. A sad tale, and a terrible disease.
Doug provided JL Treharn with a copy of the chair frame, and their chair is essentially the same footprint but with a different splat and crest rail. I still like the design we came up with better (the splat is called "Owl Eyes".
I can reproduce that set exactly through other cabinetmakers, but I've never had another one who would work as quickly as efficiently as Doug was able to. He was something of a legend back then among the other woodworker's in this trade, they never could figure out how he could make so many for such good prices (chairs were under $ 900 each, and the tables were around $ 3,500). That table was in tiger maple, measuring 48" W x 120" long with two leaves installed.
How times change....that entire area shown in that photo is now nearly all leather upholstery in my store.
I'm sorry to hear about your friend.
The table is a bit longer than I have room for; my space would better fit a six foot table, extendable to eight feet. But I like the design.
Now that you've pointed it out, I can see the difference between your design and the Treharn design. I think you're right - that yours is nicer.
What sort of ballpark are we in, if we're talking a similar, shorter table and chair set (six side, two arm, either J.L. Treharn or your design), shipped to Michigan? (No, I'm not expecting a final price - just a ballpark for now, if possible.)
(Youngstown is about four hours away from me, and about five hours away from you, in opposite directions? Argh, the insanity of having something shipped to you before it's shipped in the opposite direction, quite likely on the same highway.)
Yes, ALS is a devastating disease. Its truly horrid - worst thing I have even seen in my life happen to someone (and I'm a late-stage cancer survivor myself). As my good doctor friend in Colorado who has seen it all in his career tells me, "That's the one you absolutely do not want to get". Doug went from an able-bodied master cabinentmaker to someone confined in a wheelchair and blink only his eyes. When he could no longer swallow after many years fighting the disease, he died. But I digress......
The JL Treharn Chairs are very well made (based on our design so it has to be!) and to my knowledge the best price for a benchmade Chippendale of any maker (using mortise and tenon joinery, not doweled construction). In cherry or tiger maple, with a muslin slip seat, they are priced at:
$ 969 each for Sides.
$ 1,149 each for Arms.
Treharn makes a Double Pedestal Table to match, not unlike the one you see. However, it's a bit of a paradox - officially its 'discontinued' so you won't see it on their web site, or dealer web sites, but it's still available. Size is 80" long, 44" wide and 30" high. Comes with a pair of 16" leaves so total run length can be up to 112". Priced at $ 4,365.00.
On that table size you'll only need (4) side chairs unless the table has both leaves installed, then it will accommodate (6).
I've made DPT's as small as 72" with (2) 14" leaves (extends to 100") but that's about the lower size limit on them.
Shipping is easy. Just goes from Ohio - to you. I use Vintage Transport or Plycon Van Lines for that (estimate - about $400 for a DPT and (6) chairs to MI). Or better yet, rent a Ryder Truck and some pads and you can get it yourself at Youngstown, OH.
Was the table you're referencing called the "Connecticut Double Pedestal Table"? Through the power of Google, I have found a picture of that table, although the manufacturer isn't identified.
I'd have to see the link.....
Here's a scanned photo of the Treharn DPT table.
Thanks. The one I found had the same pedestals, but was square; but I'm acting like you don't already know that. ;)
Square tops are easy......
I've sent you a private message.
Hi !
I think that is a really cool design for Dining Table as it looks classy. But i feel the design too old to get custom-made now.
Moreover its too big for modern kitchen
The comment by "John Smith" couldn't have been more wrong. The design looks great, and it's anything but too big. Further it's a dining room table, not a kitchen table.
Here are a couple of pictures, one of an armchair and a corner cabinet, and the other of the table and chairs (not extended, although it comes with leaves).
Hey Aaron! You got your Treharn pieces already?! That was fast...when did they arrive? They look great against the red background of the walls. Do you have plans for a rug? if not, put some felt stick-on sliders under the chair legs so they don't scratch your floors.
John Buchanan is just finishing up your other two pieces and is going to call you first of the week to arrange a time to bring them to you.
Oh, and the chair seats will take a 1/2 yard fabric each to cover when you get around to picking something out.
Did Vintage do a good job for you on the delivery?
Thanks again for the order....
We actually have a carpet that we're going to use; it would be here if our painters weren't so slow - I've been delaying the (local) shipment. The shipper called on Wednesday and said "Delivery on Friday evening or... almost certainly sometime after Thanksgiving", so Friday it was. They literally picked the furniture up at J.L. Treharn on Friday afternoon and drove it straight here. (Last pickup, first drop off.)
I have no complaints about Vintage. I was actually racing out the door when they arrived, so I missed the delivery itself, but I heard no complaints and everything came intact, and was placed where it belongs.
After seeing the "Treharn Sale" thread, it occurred to me to post some updated pictures (with the John Buchanan sideboard in place, carpet, a bit of attention to room decor, and with the chairs reupholstered).
(Sorry - I don't have a wide angle lens.)
Wow, beautiful table and chairs.
With 2 kids in the household, I wonder, is it fairly easy to reupholster the chairs?
It's really easy. At most it involves unscrewing four screws per chair to remove the seats, which can then be easily transported to your upholsterer.
In terms of cost, I didn't do any significant price shopping, but I was getting prices in the range of $30-$50 per seat with materials (if the frame and padding don't need to be rebuilt) plus the cost of fabric. Think 1/2 yard per chair; if you pick a fabric with a pattern that repeats more frequently the upholsterer indicated that he might have been able to cover three seats per yard. With a large pattern as seen in the picture, you need the 1/2 yard in order to keep the pattern the same on each chair.
Upholsterers typically charge a fee if you supply your own fabric, although it's a trade-off - if you get a really good deal on the fabric somewhere else, or you have a fabric you really like, it doesn't add up to much per chair.
The room looks great, Aaron! you've been busy in there....
I actually do my own seat upholstery for those little slip seats, its not hard if you have a staple gun that can penetrate the maple frame (I have an air-powered Bostich, but you don't need one that powerful). 1/2 yard is right, cut out the pattern with some overlap, relieve the corners and staple away! Thin fabrics are MUCH easier than heavy and thick ones. Don't go crazy on the staples, because one day you have to pull them all out when its time for new covers again....
There are a number of videos on YouTube that show how to recover a chair - it looks pretty simple. My thought was (a) I don't have the proper stapler (and don't want to muddle through with the wrong one), (b) I didn't have the foresight to order an extra yard of fabric "just in case", and (c) this way it gets done now instead of 'when I can find the time'. I expect that I wouldn't have messed anything up so badly that I would have lost a half yard of fabric, as the process doesn't seem that complicated, but....
I do it mostly because I was curious to see if I could! Plus it allows me to change the fabric in short order on a whim if needed, or replace a stained cover (I always put an extra yard in storage just for that reason). I like fiddling around with stuff....mostly everything except turning wood on a lathe. Didn't like that so much, the maple blank came flying off the spindle. hit me in the head and knocked me out. First and last time I ever tried to turn a table leg. <g>
Oh, and if you ever want to buy a stapler, this will do the job and not break the bank:
http://www.amazon.com/Surebonder-596.../dp/B001EHEDF6
I absolutely LOVE this dining set. What is the wood? Would this properly be called "Chippendale" style? It is just gorgeous.
The wood is Tiger Maple (sometimes called Curly Maple, depending on what part of the country you are located). Its uniquely American, and requires a good skill set to not only match the lumber, but to finish it. You won't find it in production furniture for that reason, and its primarily the domain of fine furniture makers and string instrument makers (violins, cellos, etc). Its not a species of wood, they find appx. 5% of a maple forest will have this figure to it and set it aside at the mills because they can get premium pricing for it. When you see it in period furniture, you know it was made in New England or southern Canada.
Yes, the chair style is Chippendale, the Table is Queen Anne.