Turning to a Classic

I’ve always thought of spool furniture as equal parts funky, classic and nostalgic. It conjures up visions of 17th century Colonial America when the technique was at its peak and of the Jenny Lind bed, named for the mid-19th century Swedish opera singer who supposedly slept on one every night during her grand singing tour of America.

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The characteristic series of turned “bulbs” connected by narrow segments sometimes reminds me of the balloon animals my kids enjoyed when they were little or even the way work progresses through an organization. You know how it goes – sometimes the pipeline is bulging with activity and then at times it is almost empty and then it bulges again.

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I’m fascinated with these classic wood-turned pieces again because I saw a spool stool – say that three times fast! – at High Point Market last month and was smitten by its quirky quality. I had never seen a spool stool before, but I can definitely picture one juxtaposed in a really contemporary kitchen as a cook’s seat, or even as a trio of seats along the island.

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I would love to see a spool sofa or chair paired with clean-lined pieces in a living room or family, too. It would be a head turner (pun intended)!

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