Shaker Cupboard: Rejuvenated

Shaker stepback cupboards aren’t abundant. In fact, there are only a few examples in the many published books on Shaker furniture. Unless you have a sharp eye for Shaker furniture, or are excited about painted furniture with a heavily worn surface, I doubt you would give a second look to the original cupboard on which this project is based. However, the fact that the original is part of the White Water Shaker Village collection propels this piece, in my opinion, toward the top of Shaker cupboards. A reproduction of this cupboard is a must. And in the process, we can turn the clock back to see the cupboard in its earlier days.

INSPIRATION FROM THE ORIGINAL

The original Shaker stepback, with its missing crown moulding and other absent features, required detective work before construction began. As we move through the project, we’ll examine some missing features and try to reach conclusions that bring this piece back to an earlier day.

The first question is: What about feet? The cupboard at White Water has a three-sided frame that rests on the floor. Was that the original design? Or were the feet worn away or removed?

Also, what happened to the crown moulding? It’s obvious there was a moulding, but it is long since gone. What was the profile?

Other features to look at are the unique drawer construction and the use of a half-dovetail sliding joint to secure the shelves to the case sides—even with this complex but strong joint, the builder nailed in the shelves.

FACE (FRAME) FACTS

Before we get to the detective work, we need to build the cases and face frames. The frames for both