furniture & decorative accessories
furniture may complement a room by virtue of its proportion, shape, material, and fabric pattern. Or it can complement the room because it comes from the same period and style: say, Hepplewhite furniture in a Federal house, or furniture designed by C.F.A. Voysey for an Arts & Crafts Tudor. Many of the makers and craftspeople listed here are attuned to design periods and can help you set a direction and even develop an eye. Obvious pairings of furniture and architecture (Renaissance Revival furniture in an Italianate parlor) is not your only option. We’ve seen Mid-century Modern furniture alongside bold American Craftsman pieces, for example, in a rustic lake house of the 1930s. Learn about design periods, read books, ask for help, make a buying plan—then buy what you love, one piece at a time. Good furniture is expensive, an investment in longevity. Cheap furniture will be a disappointment from the start, and headed for the trash before it even has patina.