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The
shortest distance between form and function is the straight line.
After several distinct periods of experimentation, in the end Picasso
communicated all that he felt necessary with a single brush-stroke.
If the meaning of the Shaker song title, "Tis a Gift to be
Simple", requires no elaboration for you, you might find the
products of the North Woods Chair Shop to be gifts.
The
Company was formed in 1980 by Brian Braskie and Lenore Howe. Their
collaborative efforts since have been clearly influenced by the
Shaker Eldresses whom they were privileged to know. Their work does
not require an owner's manual. It does not shriek or assault the
senses, nor is it veiled in hidden meaning. Their chairs, their
tables, and their casepieces suggest in perfectly audible tones
that the work is intended to be accessible and used; and that it
is created with intelligence, warmth and in the spirit of inclusion.
People
from around the world seeking enduring style and simplicity, as
opposed to fashion or egotistical elaboration, have chosen to include
the work of Brian and Lenore in their collections.
The
couple live and work together in a nineteenth century farmhouse
on an unpaved road in Canterbury. They have won recognition from
Early American Life Magazine for the last 10 years with inclusion
in their Annual Directory of the 200 Best Traditional Craftsmen;
and, in 1993 their work was chosen for the cover photo. They have
won numerous awards for the quality of their work and were two of
the six founders of the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association.
Their furniture has also appeared on the covers of Home Magazine
and New Hampshire Home Magazine.
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