This book furnishes the information to enable any man having ordinary manual dexterity and possessing a few essential woodworking tools to make a wide variety of useful articles of furniture. B.W. Pelton, 1949

{HISTORY}

The late-1940s were an especially interesting time in home design from all angles inside and out. Post-WWII, homeownership was on the rise as the American dream was wild and rampant with the desire to make a house the most comfortable, efficient, practical, and enjoyable place it could possibly be. Furniture Making and Cabinet Work highlights interesting trends of the 1940s when it comes to living spaces, room layouts and design elements, making this book a bit of a marvel in hands-on building as well as a source of social commentary on the functionality of the American homefront. 

Cocktail tables, door frames, kitchen cabinets, Windsor chair repair, built-in book nooks, loveseats, utensil racks, card tables, beverage trays, armchairs... these are just a few of the many projects you'll learn how to build, lacquer and repair, step by step, piece by piece thanks to expert woodworker B.W. Pelton.

His DIY masterpiece, Furniture Making and Cabinet Work published in 1949 is nothing to shy away from given its 596 pages of content, but the life and times of B.W. himself is a bit more mysterious. To find a bio on this expert of the carpentry world is tricky, but we do know that his wife, Marion Ingalls Pelton, contributed also on the interior design front (Chapter 10) as an expert in her own right - instructor at the New York School of Decoration. The dynamic duo of Marion and B.W. give this woodworking book timeless appeal since it takes design, functionality and aesthetic into consideration when it comes to building out and enhancing home interiors.

"Good taste and common sense" is a phrase BW likes to use throughout, along with an easy voice and gentle reassurance that the reader (aka the woodworker) can do the job just fine. Enhanced with photos, diagrams, drawings, supply lists, and tons of practical hands-on knowledge, B.W. makes home building projects fun and functional. Chock-full of vintage-style projects, including many space-saving tricks and dual-purpose furniture pieces, this book, even though it is seven decades old, remains very creative and useful to today's modern living as well s a useful guide for any midcentury home restoration projects.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Published in 1949 by Van Nostrand Company

- Contains 596 pages including a detailed index

- Illustrated throughout with black and white photographs and line drawings

 {CONDITION}

Overall in good vintage condition. There is foxing on some pages including the front and back endpapers. A previous owner's name is written in pen on the inside cover page. All interior pages are clean and bright (minus some random foxing on some pages). The spine is tight and all pages are intact. The cover boards feature splatters, spots and stains commiserate with age and 70 years of use.  

{SIZE}

Measures 9.5" inches (length)x 6.25" inches (width) x 1.75" inches (thickness) and weighs 3.6lbs.