Best in Show from Providence
Michael Jury, principal designer and craftsman at M. Jury Woodworks, won Best in Show (Furniture Design) for his cherry Asa-no-ha sideboard at the 27th annual Fine Furnishings Show, held Nov. 4-6 in Providence, R.I. Other Best in Show winners included Geoffrey Warner (Furniture Innovation) of Geoffrey Warner Studio in Stonington, Maine; Ben Kotis (Traditional Student Work) and Svetlana Daneva (Contemporary Student Work) from the North Bennet Street School, and Corrinn Jusell (Accessory) of Made by Corrinn in New Bedford, Mass.
Michael Jury, principal designer and craftsman at M. Jury Woodworks, won Best in Show (Furniture Design) for his cherry Asa-no-ha sideboard at the 27th annual Fine Furnishings Show, held Nov. 4-6 in Providence, R.I.
Jury builds furniture inspired by Shaker, Japanese and Danish designs and philosophies at his shop in Springfield, Va.
“The winning sideboard is built from solid cherry and inspired by Shaker and Japanese designs,” Jury said in a statement. “The upper case is constructed with hand-cut dovetail joinery which is visible from the sides as evidence of heirloom construction and skilled craftsmanship. The base features gracefully tapered legs which is a classic Shaker design element.
“The highlight of the piece is the two sliding door panels which feature the asa-no-ha kumiko design. This traditional Japanese lattice pattern represents a hemp leaf which symbolizes health, resilience and prosperity in traditional Japanese culture. The kumiko is constructed by cutting angles on individual pieces of basswood with a chisel to create the geometric pattern. The kumiko is backed with black momigami paper to highlight the form. The doors slide in front of three drawers made of solid maple sides, back and bottom and constructed with hand-cut dovetail joinery. The recessed ebonized pulls allow the doors to slide in front of the drawers. The piece is finished with hand-rubbed oil varnish and wax.”
Other Best in Show winners included Geoffrey Warner (Furniture Innovation) of Geoffrey Warner Studio in Stonington, Maine; Ben Kotis (Traditional Student Work) and Svetlana Daneva (Contemporary Student Work) from the North Bennet Street School, and Corrinn Jusell (Accessory) of Made by Corrinn in New Bedford, Mass.
Stewart and Deanna Junge of Fivo Design in Andover, Mass., won the show’s Marc Harrison Award for Marketing Excellence.
The judges were Lynda Simonton, market editor at New England Home magazine, and Rosanne Somerson, furniture maker and President Emerita at the Rhode Island School of Design.
For more, visit finefurnishingsshows.com.
This article was originally published in the January 2023 issue.
