History of turned furniture

In the late 16th and early 17th Century the turned chair was in vogue in England, Holland and New England. Made with chisels and gouges cutting onto a wooden spindle on a laithe, they created designs such as the bobbin you see on our furniture.

While bobbin furniture dropped in popularity in the 17th Century, it then became sought-after once more in the 19th Century thanks to Jenny Lind, a Swedish opera singer, who went on tour in America with her entire collection of turned furniture.

The country cottage style of spool turned furniture she toured with became so popular in the USA it is known to this day as ‘Jenny Lind Furniture’.