Furniture Pulls

By Resident Expert

By Randy Scully

As someone who practices the traditional (and, sadly, dying) art of crafting furniture, I always love to observe my clients' individual reactions to furnishings. For some, choosing it is merely a process, a cut-and-dry formula: one table + six chairs = one dining room. They tear pages from the magazine du jour and tell me, "This is the look we're trying to achieve."

But for others, furniture is more of an emotional purchase. It goes way beyond nesting; in a post 9/11 world, it’s hip to be home. And if you’re going to be home, you might as well do it right and be comfortable. These customers understand that the pieces in their living room or bedroom reflect who they are. They know that a custom-made dining-room table or desk will last through the long haul—and might find its way into their grandchildren’s homes. For these people, it’s not just about value, but values, too.

It's this type of client who comes into my workshop with a design in mind. These people, who respond to wood tones or to details such as brackets or turned feet, are the ones to whom I best relate, because my reactions are similarly instinctual. After all, I still haven’t decided on what type of dining room table I want in my own home. My wife and I have 12 chairs circling an empty space where, someday, the perfect table will reside.

My brother, Gerry, is a great example of someone who understands how furniture can reflect his personality. This year, he’s going after a baseball table (proof positive that men never outgrow their toys, since Gerry is in his late 30s). Together, we spend time designing the perfect piece for his game room: a round tabletop, drawers with baseball pulls, and actual bats for table legs.

Obviously, baseball tables are fun and whimsical, but maybe not the most functional piece in the world. And while function isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, we do need a table to eat on, a desk to pay bills at, and a dresser for our sweaters. The most practical and flexible piece one could own is a chest of drawers, the ultimate in multi-functional, transitional fixtures. If you've got an interior designer on hand, ask him or her to show you how it not only works in your bedroom for storage, but also in your dining room or kitchen as a sideboard or in a home office for file and supplies. A chest of drawers offer a multitude of uses, limited only by your creativity.

That's the advantage of custom-built furniture; most of the time, your own creativity is expressed in its elegant forms. It's a lasting investment in your home, one that's bound to leave a legacy long after you're done using it.

The Gerald Demilune Table iby RP Scully is hand crafted using Mahogany,
Crotch-Mahogany Veneer, English Sycamore, and Tiger Maple. A string
of four graduated bellflowers alternating with dots descends down the
tapered legs and were hand carved using Holly for the inlays.

RP Scully's Dorest Bowfront China Cabinet is made of Mahogany
wood with Fiddleback Mahogany Veneer and Jatoba highlights.

Randy Scully is founder and president of Peekskill-based R.P. Scully Furniture, Inc., established in 1999. Influenced by the William B. Sayre Program, RP Scully offers time-tested techniques modified for modern tastes. For more information, call (914) 788-3811 or visit www.rpscullyfurniture.com.

Reader Comments:

Oct 16, 2009 03:44 pm

Posted by mitch29

hi there,

i was wondering if someone could shade some light on a piece of scully furniture that i have, it dates back to at least the early 1930's.... im from the uk and when i engine search scully furniture it shows that it must have come from the u.s.. so if anyone could help then maybe i could send a couple of pics......

kind reguards mitch.