Furniture

Home Page SCULPTURED FURNITURE

by Barbara Terpstra Vickers

It was the early '70s and there I was, fresh out of a divorce and working my way through grad school at George Washington University with an antique business. Ah, the hippest of days when I was known as the "Brass Bed Lady of Arlington, Virginia". It seems like a lark now, but oh, the hours I worked on these pieces of love in my basement..... How I wish I knew where they all are now. If you know where any pieces are, I would love to hear about it.

Rocking Chairs

I discovered that a rocking chair needs just three points, in balance. If the three points are in the right places, the rest of the design can flow at will! But the influence of my art nouveau antiques determined the style.... and my budget determined the material --- plywood. Laminated - and lots of it.

So young - in good shape, too, from all that hefty,

hard work.

Yes, all plywood!

Totally laminated

side to side.

(In retrospect, the

design would have

been better in positive

rather than negative.)

But not

wonderfully

comfortable.

There's only one

like this!

Sometimes there were

three at a time coming off

my little assembly line!

And there is always a favorite.

I wonder what ever happened to it......

Most upholstery was velveteen --- but this one was leather! My sewing machine would never be the same....

Sometimes they looked alike -

But they weren't........

As far as I can determine,

there were a lucky 13 rocking chairs...

And then there was the day in 1975 that Fine Woodworking Magazine came to town and made me into the first woman featured in their "Gallery" section with my music stand.....

But rocking chairs weren't enough. I had to try a whole dinette set. Used it for a few years and then traded it to the tilesetter for a new tile in the kitchen. There was even a hanging lamp to match. Wonder where they are now......