Duet Stand

Duet Stand

Side view of O’Doherty Moore’s “Duet” music stand in tiger maple. An elegant stand for two musicians with independently adjustable height and desk angle. Can be made with different woods and specifications.

Classic Loveseat: Wagon Seat Reproduction

Classic Loveseat: Wagon Seat Reproduction

This classic loveseat is an elegant addition to the living room or mudroom. It is a compact form with elegant lines. All the wood and metal work were shaped by hand. This loveseat is painted in red milk paint followed by black milk paint then topcoated with a hand-rubbed oil finish. The black milk paint can be abraded to the customer's satisfaction to reveal the red beneath on typical wear...

Wagon Seat: A Modern Take

Wagon Seat: A Modern Take

History of the Original Wagon Seat With a healthy skepticism of new furniture, my parents preferred antiques before it was fashionable to do so. They collected some beauties: a Windsor chair from the 18th century, a Chippendale wing chair, a set of ladder back chairs and an old wagon seat that my dad bought at a barn sale in the neighborhood. The wagon seat lived in our living room for many...

The Significance of Locker #859

The Significance of Locker #859

Repurposed furniture One day in October, a customer came to me with a well-worn locker door. Many decades of daily use in a high school left many dents, scratches and dings. Someone drew a small heart inside the door with a black marker. Significantly, in front of this door he met the woman who would, many years later, become his wife. So, when he learned the old high school would be torn down...

Quilted Cherry Music Stand Desk

Quilted Cherry Music Stand Desk

This handmade music stand desk has the kind of spectacular wood I'm always looking for. I found the long plank a small, specialty lumber supplier. I've used a bit of it in other projects, but still have enough for one or two more music stands. The photo doesn't quite capture the brilliance of the figure. It is difficult to see the book-match joint in this handmade music stand desk. I carved the...

Five Cherry Music Stands

Five Cherry Music Stands

Five cherry music stands atop the workbench just before they left the shop for service with Arpeggione Ensemble. I built these stands to the  chamber group's specifications. Each stand has a wider desk than normal to accommodate the scores the group uses. The pedestal pole has a simplified, Shaker look. Arpeggione Ensemble performs with historically correct instruments and works to reimagine...

Happy Birthday Buzz, Shop Dog

Happy Birthday Buzz, Shop Dog

Wish Buzz, the shop dog, a happy first birthday! Buzz was born July 6, 2020. Given the proximity to the 4th, Marcie who runs Sunset Hill Labrador Retrievers in Hannacroix, NY, gave him the temporary name of "Independence."  An English Labrador retriever, Buzz has been a joy from the day we got him about 10 months ago. Buzz is a very good boy — he’s well tempered and leaves the wood alone in the...

Walnut Baptism Stand

Walnut Baptism Stand

Amid all the dark news in the age of COVID, it was great to hear that my recently completed walnut baptism stand was used in its first baptism at the Main Street Congregational Church in Amesbury, Mass. I’m hoping 2021 brings more joyful occasions and fewer sad ones. I designed the stand to harmonize with a communion table that the church had commissioned a few years ago. Roger Cramer, an...

Judging a Music Stand’s Personality

Judging a Music Stand’s Personality

Judging a music stand for aesthetics is important. I make music stands one at a time. While I’ve worked out the general dimensions and the like over the years, each music stand develops its own personality as it is made. Certainly, that personality is influenced by choices in wood. But more important still are the choices made as wood is shaped out of rough timber. If the choices go well, the...

Cabinet made to match a desk

Cabinet made to match a desk

This file cabinet was designed to match a Newburyport customer's existing desk. It has heavy duty drawer slides and is painted black with cherry top.

West Newbury Music Stand

West Newbury Music Stand

A custom walnut music stand ready to ship to a customer in Texas. Every custom stand has unique customer requests. To start a conversation about a design or build of a custom item click here.

White Oak Dining Benches

White Oak Dining Benches

White Oak Dining Benches: I designed and built these white oak dining benches to match a recently built table. A customer's son had made a table for his brother's wedding and asked if I would make two, white oak benches to match. I was able to match the color and finish of table and get everything out the door before the wedding. Here they are in the shop before going to South Carolina. I do...

Wooden Chess Table

Wooden Chess Table

Robb Stewart of Melrose, MA sits at his newly installed home office desk, complete with wooden chess table that's part of a new desk unit. Robb knows chess. He plays in tournaments, teaches school children and is a Director of the Massachusetts Chess Association. One of the specific requests was to size board's squares to his Staunton-style chess set. He also wanted a bookcase, two-drawer file...

Antique Lumber that’s reclaimed

Antique Lumber that’s reclaimed

Reclaimed, antique lumber is a wonderful thing -- tight grain, amazing color and rich character. One great source of such treasures is Bingham Lumber, in Brookline, NH. Tom Bingham, third-generation owner of the mill, spent hours with members of the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers Saturday, describing how the company finds, treats and reconditions beams, barn boards and other old wood for...

Memphis musician on his new Music Stand

Memphis musician on his new Music Stand

A Memphis musician sent me this letter after he received a music stand that had been show at the 2014 Sunapee Craft Fair. It's always a pleasure to hear from those using and enjoying items I make: Dear Mr. Moore, The music stand arrived in perfect condition this past week and is beautiful -- lovely curves, trim, smoothness, and overall finish and craftsmanship. A piece of art. I am a...