I am a Windsor chair and furniture maker working in the rolling hills just south of Nashville Tennessee. Over the last 35 plus years I’ve worked in various segments of the traditional cabinet and furniture trades. During that time I’ve built untold numbers of custom cabinets, tables, beds, mantles, and pieces of architectural millwork. Wonderful experiences and rewarding but within me there has always been a enthusiasm I haven’t been able to set aside. I have so many positive memories of family vacations to historic locations like Colonial Williamsburg. Those were truly formative experiences and lifelong influences. Early in the 1980’s I picked up a book that further ignited that passion. That book was “Windsor Chairmaking” by Michael Dunbar. Here was a craftsman building chairs that were marvels of craftsmanship, artistry, and times past. This process involved working directly from the log with hand tools like drawknives, axes, and spokeshaves. Within days of reading that book I acquired a few of those basic tools and raw materials. Between paying jobs I worked on the begins of what I thought would become my first Windsor chair, but lacking sufficient experience, materials, and some of the specialized hand tools I sadly never finished that first chair. Those cherished parts survived many moves, periods in storage, and even water damage…..but I could never bring myself to throw them out or silence that enthusiasm. Today those parts and that book sit just feet from my bench where each new piece is created.
Over the last 5 years I’ve immersed myself and have built a one-man Windsor furniture business. My techniques for creating each piece are almost Identical to those of the original Windsor craftsmen, and my tools are primarily hand tools. I use them because they are simply the best tools for creating pieces that will last for generations and become family heirlooms. Some of these are over 150 years old and bare the carved initials of the craftsman whose hands first put them to wood in the 1800s. I also make a few of these tools myself, with blades I’ve forged, and bodies I’ve shaped specifically for Windsor chair craftsmen. I source my materials from local small saw mills and log yards, and I select them for their beauty and specific attributes in the final piece. Windsors are typically created from several different woods, with maple, oak, pine, poplar, and cherry all being prominently used. Milk paint has been the traditional finish for Windsors for many generations. It wonderfully unifies the elegant Windsor form and has a beauty and durability that withstands the test of time. I also have work that comes alive when treated with the simplicity of a clear finish. Clear finishes tend to convey a modern elegance where the contrast of colors and grains become more prominent design elements. Thankfully I’ve had the opportunity to learn from a handful of craftsmen that have kept the knowledge and skills alive and well, and hopefully one day I can be one of those craftsman that passes my accumulated experience on to the next generation. 
Check back often as this site will showcase a growing body of work that I am so excited to be creating!
Thank you for your interest and support!
Allan
Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson,