Carver Chairs - Little Thakeham House

Edwin Lutyens Arts and crafts movement Oak kitchen for little Thakeham House, furniture

We produced an Arts & Crafts kitchen for the current owner of Edwin Lutyens house Little Thakeham. But the previous owner of the house was also an avid & well known Arts & Crafts collector, and they commioned these couple of Arts & Crafts carver dining chairs, for their breakfast room.

Sir Edwin Lutyens Arts and Crafts Movement Oak carver chairs for Little Thakeham House furniture Sir Edwin Lutyens Arts and Crafts ovement Oak carver chairs for Little Thakeham House furniture

The chairs are 50/50 Voysey & Liberty style. But more Voysey, as Liberty copied Voysey's chair design, and made a few adaptions. This chair design would go on to heavily influence Stickley & the Mission style makers in the USA. The top photograph actually shows a Voysey oak side table in between the 2 chairs. Voysey was always a designer's designer.


Sir Edwin Lutyens Arts and Crafts Movement Oak carver chairs for Little Thakeham House furniture Liberty Arts and Crafts Movement Oak carver chairs furniture

The backsplat cut-out design is definately a Liberty touch. All front facing timber & the 2 arm rests use 1/4 sawn oak; mainly for the decorative grain this produces (but also because this cut is more stable). The square seat uses a proper drop in seat frame with corner blocks, with a hand rushed seat. Very labour intensive but authentic for this style of chair. The obvious alternative was the leather upholstered seat. the chair was left natural & given a light oil finish. The 2 chairs above right are Liberty chairs from the period & clearly show the influence upon the new chairs design.



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