If you’re thinking about commissioning a piece of furniture and want some inspiration, I definitely recommend paying a visit to the Flynt Center in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Historic Deerfield exhibition

I’ve talked a lot on my design blog about how Massachusetts and the New England region played an important role in early American furniture design. The Flynt Center is a state of the art museum that features masterworks in New England furniture as well as displays of needlework, costume, and more.

The Flynt Center, a part of Historic Deerfield, should be on your short list of places to visit for its historic homes, early first and second period buildings, and world-class collection of furniture and decorative arts.

Into the Woods: Crafting Early American Furniture opens on January 3rd, 2015 and runs through most of the year. Some of the most famous furniture craftsmen in the region are celebrated at this museum, and it’s a great way to get a better understanding of the materials, techniques, and creative aspects that went into creating such furniture. And if you go, return in the summer,as the exhibit features a changing section, which rotates the study of using different elements in furniture production.

A visit to the Flynt Center is sure to not disappoint, and it’s unique location in a farm field and convenience to historic barns with an overall Connecticut River Valley setting make this a great way to enjoy a classic New England afternoon.

Please contact me, Richard Oedel, Fine Furniture Master, to learn more about the Flynt Center and why checking out furniture exhibits in the area can prove to be beneficial when commissioning a piece of furniture.