This chair was made to a design c.1730-1740 by John Gaines III who worked in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The measured drawing came from a wonderful book called Queen Anne Furniture History, design and construction written by Norman Vandal and published by The Taunton Press in 1990. To my eye, it is as striking and perfect as a design can be. The boldly carved crest rail, the Spanish style feet, and the ball and ring front rail add immensely to its character.

The painted finish is typical of pieces of the period. It allows the use of character free wood for construction. In this chair, I have chosen rock maple for its strength, for most of the piece. The crest rail and front legs are made from poplar, which is softer and carves better, while maple takes crisp cuts in the turning. Mortise and tenon joints at stress points have been finely fitted and pegged to make this piece one that will last for generations, barring accidents. The piece was not distressed to artificially damage the surface, but still looks old. It was finished first with a walnut stain over the entire piece. This was then sealed with shellac. I painted it first with a brick red paint, then with black. I came back with a scotchbrite pad, buffing the finish so that some of the red and even a bit of the stained wood shows through at wear points, which adds a bit of aging. This was followed by several protective coats of gloss laquer, followed by another rubdown with a scotchbrite pad to leave a semi-gloss finish.

This piece will be a fine addition to someone's decor. It is even comfortable, with plenty of lumbar support. Carved arms can be added as well for an additional cost. It takes quite a bit of time to produce, roughly two weeks per piece.