“Do your work as though you had a thousand years to live and as if you were to die tomorrow.”
Shaker Style Furnishings
This motto of the Shaker people reflects the care, integrity, and quality with which they approach their furniture craftsmanship. Early-American Shakers emigrated from Europe due to religious conflict and founded pious communities of like-minded individuals. Their values of simplicity, integrity, and practicality influenced everything they did. Originally crafted for large religious gatherings, Shaker chairs and other Shaker Style Furnishings soon became well-known regionally for their durability and graceful simplicity.
Still today we celebrate the Shaker Style Furnishing for the same qualities that caught the public’s attention centuries ago. These qualities are elegance, simplicity, and durability. Craftsmen who utilize traditional construction methods, such as the Amish, still craft Shaker furniture in its original style.
The influence of the Shaker style can be seen in the world of furniture. The practical ethos of “form follow function” still inspires many who wish to meet the basic furnishings needs of families and individuals with elegant, durable creations.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers