In 1971, after serving three years in the military stationed in Germany and experiencing much anti-American sentiment, a young doctor and his wife returned home feeling very patriotic. One of the first things they did was tour the country, stopping in several reconstructed early American villages, including Shakertown, Ky. Shortly afterward they stumbled upon a Shaker chair in an antiques store and, having no furniture, bought it.
It was the unembellished, plain, simple and very practical style that appealed to them, says the wife. “Shakers had a utopian ideal which could only have happened here,” adds the husband. Free from religious persecution, members of their society were considered equal regardless of sex, race or age. “Shakers epitomize what is best about being an American,” he explains.
Over the years the couple’s passion for Shaker products grew, resulting in one of the foremost collections of Shaker furniture in Chicago. Their sources have been private collectors, auctions and Shakers themselves. The couple also lend their furniture to museums.
Tucked away on a private, tree-lined lane, this couple’s North Shore home is filled with pieces made in the Shaker community for use in the community.
Referencing books picturing real Shaker rooms, they created an interior reminiscent of a Shaker home. Living in such a place came naturally, says the wife. “I feel very comforted by not having too many things around,” she says.
However, plenty of storage exists in the cupboards to hold linens, china and household items.
Practical aspects of their own family life meant confining the Shaker furnishings to the entry, the living room, the dining room and the master bedroom. “Our children [two sons, now grown] were very respectful of it and always had a family room and their bedrooms where they didn’t have to bother with it,” says the wife.
In the entry are three slatback chairs, probably the best known of the Shakers’ products. Simple and unadorned, the slatback chair is strong and light, graceful and functional, quickly and easily produced, yet comfortable and convenient.
One chair stands beside a sewing desk remarkable for its original red paint on the exterior and bright chrome yellow interior. Against the opposite wall, the second chair is paired with a drop-leaf work table accented with an oval wooden box.
Beyond, an 8-foot-tall clock made mostly of pine is notable for its unusual height and red/orange coloration.
The living room is primarily Shaker, blended with upholstered seating, lamps and area rugs in keeping with the period. In front of the window is a traditional couch that had been in the wife’s home when she was a little girl. “Because it is not exaggerated or eccentric, it lends itself to a setting where it doesn’t stand out,” she explains. Even the red brick geometric fabric she chose for it seems subdued. Pillows were copied from Amish patterns.
Facing the fireplace is a custom-made sofa covered in checkerboard fabric. A one-drawer cherry stand with button feet serves as a coffee table. In the corner stands a massive floor-to-ceiling storage cabinet. Among the three rocking chairs is one prized for its original chrome yellow paint and splint seat.
As was customary in Shaker homes, no art hangs on the walls. Instead, several letters and documents and a print of a spiritual drawing are on display. A peg rail holds household goods such as a framed mirror, a measuring device, a garment hanger and a basket.
The Shakers’ dedication to communal living is evident in the dining room. A long, narrow trestle table used for dining, a tailoring counter and a large cupboard were all designed for group use. A low-back dining chair hangs on a peg rail in keeping with the Shakers’ practice of keeping furnishings off the floors for cleanliness and order.
The home is a tranquil place, reflecting the heritage of a gentle, peaceful people, and the abiding respect of the people who live here.
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Dining room and entry: Dining room, all authentic Shaker pieces: trestle table from Mt. Lebanon, N.Y., community dating from 1840; red tailoring counter; slatback chairs; homespun fabric; storage cupboard from Sabbathday Lake, Maine, community–personal collection. Entry (also pictured on Page 2), all authentic Shaker pieces: slatback chair; drop-leaf table; swift; oval fingered box; firkin–personal collection.
Dining room: All authentic Shaker pieces: trestle table; slatback chairs; homespun fabric; storage cupboard from Mt. Lebanon community c. 1820; architectural drawing of community in Maine by Joshua Bussell; fingered boxes; wood candleholder–personal collection.
Detail of living room and entry: Wingback chair with checkerboard fabric–personal collection; pillow with Amish design–made by owner. All authentic Shaker pieces: 8-foot-tall red/orange clock, mostly pine with a little cherry; peg rail; yellow mirror rack; coat hanger; framed document; one-drawer stand, tray-top table; homespun fabric; boxes; red bench; desk made by Orrin Haskins–personal collection.
Living room: Custom love seat with checkerboard fabric; print of Shaker spirit drawing –personal collection. All authentic Shaker pieces: cupboard over drawers; rocking chair from Maine; Canterbury dining chair; yellow blanket chest; on top of chest, two oval boxes, mitten form, brush, tin ware; revolver chair; desk made by Orrin Haskins–personal collection.
