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Know-How

 

The experience of the owner and craftpeople of Atelier Pérusse, taken together, represents more than a hundred years of meticulous attention to detail. Setting the highest standards for themselves in all their work this small team of highly skilled and dedicated craftmen will create for you pieces of everlasting beauty and elegance, all bench made and hand-finished to your specifications.

 

For those who apreciate the best and identify with standards of excellence Atelier Pérusse team of cabinetmakers, turners, carvers and finishers will contribute to create for you furniture of the highest quality, second to none in distinction.

 

 

CABINETMAKERS

 

 

Cabinetmakers are methodical and meticulous. They are not artists. Their extensive knowledge is mainly the result of a lifetime of scholarly commitment. They need to thoroughly understand wood and master countless, often intricate techniques used to shape lumber and bring pieces to life. They must also have a very comprehensive knowledge of joinery, the ability to select joints which will endure for years, and a highly discerning judgement on proportions and furniture styles.

 

 

WOODTURNER

 

 

Turnings embellish furniture. Whether it be a table or a cabinet leg, or else a finial, each curve and shape found in turnings relate to a specific type of furniture. Turnings found on French furniture are therefore very distinct from those found on English furniture. The same can be said of turnings found on American country high style or Quebec country furniture. Turnings are first drawn for scale and proportions then hand-turned on sight at the workshop.

 

 

WOODCARVER

 

 

Atelier Pérusse pieces are entirely carved by hand at the workshop. Through the methods of his trade the carver uses gouges to sculpt decorative elements which embellish furniture. These details and often intricate motifs are integral to the success of many designs. They contribute towards the overall quality, elegance and refinement of pieces.

 

The number of gouges a carver uses often reflects the quality and level of the work he does. In fact to any one gouge corresponds a specific curve or radius. The more gouges a carver therefore uses the more efficient he is. Exceptionnally well-defined contours, outstanding movement and intricate detail are featured in the two carvings shown above.(BELOW)

 

 

 

FINISHER

 

 

Many finishers first served as antiques restorers. This is true of the finishers at Atelier Pérusse. Restoring antiques helped them to better understand how pieces aged and, to a certain extend, how original finishes were done and applied. It is that deep understanding of antiques that helps them create some of the most beautiful finishes, as authentic in colors and patina as any original can be.

 

However, finishing is more than just understanding antiques. Finishing traditionnal furniture is an art, as much as it is a trade in itself. It requires a lot of skill and experience, much as it does emotion and sensibility. Skill and experience are the result of a lifetime of scholarly commitment. Emotion and sensibility are what make each and every piece unique. The finisher is a dedicated craftman to whom feelings, as much as expertise and passion, are integral to the successs of his work.

 

 

CONSTRUCTION FEATURES

 

 

Atelier Pérusse proudly creates unique furniture, using old-world techniques. Meticulous attention is paid to every construction detail and great pains are taken to build pieces of enduring quality and craftmanship. The lumber is hand picked for consistent moisture content. Every board is meticulously matched for figure and grain. Fine joinery, authentic detail and elaborate carving complement the work.

 

1. Hand planing the finished surfaces imparts furniture the subtle texture of antiques

2. All pieces employ such time proven techniques as the mortise and tenon joint. All joints are pegged

3. Edges of panels are stained before frame or door assembly so that should the panels shink due to normal fluctuations in humidity it will be less apparent

4. Blocks set into grooves allow the tops to move freely and not crack.

5. Dovetail joints demonstrate a commitment to a high standard of excellencee

 

 

6. Mortise and tenon joints insure the structural integrity of our pieces

7. Double tenon joints make for an even sturdier construction

8. Breadboards make tops look more distinguished

9. Wooden hinges are used when part of a table apron needs to rotate to support a leaf

10. Use of rough-sawn lumber imparts the backs of pieces the look of antiques

 

 

11. All dovetails are hand-cut

12. Drawer bottoms are chamfered and in solid wood

13. Drawers slide employing the traditionnal manner

14. Which is wood on wood

15. The cleat and trammel system we use allows for all shelves to be fully adjustable