By Jennifer Hicks
STAFF WRITER
In June woodworker Peter Aleksa, owner of Cherry Brook Woodworks in Canton, Conn., was commissioned by the Gracie Mansion Conservancy in Manhattan to produce a set of 24 Federal-style dining room chairs. The Conservancy was established in 1981 to maintain and preserve Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York’s mayors since 1942, which was built in 1799 as a summer residence for prosperous shipping merchant Archibald Gracie.
He and Drake discussed pricing and then Aleksa delivered two armchairs to the mansion for staff and board members for review. He plans to complete the order by late December.
“I’ve done jobs of this money magnitude while working out of other shops, but this is basically the largest
job I’ve had running my own business,” said Aleksa.
Aleksa attended Boston’s North Bennet Street School and opened his own shop in 2004. Aside from the mansion commission, he currently does a variety of work for decorators, antique dealers and collectors.
“My goal from Day One, even before going to North Bennet, was that I really wanted to work for myself and have my own shop,” he said.
Contact: Cherry Brook Woodworks, 155 Cherry Brook Road, Canton, CT 06019. Tel: 860-693-2101. www.cherry brookwoodworks.com
Ideal for High-End Kitchens and Baths
Since July, Peter Aleksa has been working on the Gracie Mansion chair commission of 24 Federal-style square back chairs.
“I was excited about it. It’s definitely a great feather in my cap to be 34 years old and making chairs on this level,” said Aleksa, who has eight years of experience as a pro and makes all types of furniture. “It’s definitely a great job. But on the flip side, it’s 24 chairs and it’s repetitive, monotonous work.”
Interior designer Jamie Drake contacted Aleksa after viewing his Web site portfolio, which featured the Federal-style square back chair chosen as the model for the commission. Drake was the designer in charge of a restoration of Gracie Mansion in 2002, undertaken to return the house to its historic grandeur and provide increased accessibility to the public.
Aleksa had originally replicated one armchair to fill out a set of period chairs that his friend owns. Those chairs happen to be for sale, so at the time of the request, Aleksa asked the Garcie Mansion Conservancy if it would be interested in purchasing a set of eight. But 24 were required to accommodate the number of people that can be seated at the mansion’s dining room table.
The negotiation process was extremely straightforward, said Aleksa.
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References:
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