The Windsor Institute

One thing I have never built in my decade as a woodworker is a chair.  Sure, I’ve built lots of stuff in my shop, but the challenge of chair building has always stopped me cold in my tracks.

However, the day I decide to build one, most likely it will be a Windsor chair.  Those beautiful hand-crafted babies take us back centuries when all fine furniture was built with exceptional care and skill.

At the Windsor Institute in Hampton, New Hampshire, Michael and Sue Dunbar instruct the traditional crafting methods of these simple yet ornate chairs.  From the selection of the woods to the seat shaping right down to the final fitting of the back spindles and  crest rails, students learn the ins and outs of classical chair construction in several different forms.

Classes are offered throughout the year and space in these classes is limted to 18 students to ensure enough hands-on instruction can be offered.