The Piece

A refined Lenox Shops Furniture side chair, produced in Canastota, New York, circa 1916–1933, and thoughtfully refurbished by Viridian Eclection in a custom black cherry and walnut finish. This is early 20th-century American craftsmanship at its best—built for daily life, designed with restraint, and elevated through proportion, grain, and structure rather than excess ornament.

The silhouette carries the lingering discipline of Eastlake / Aesthetic Movement influence—turned legs, squared block transitions, framed geometry—while the simplified lines and balanced mass nod toward the era’s growing Colonial Revival sensibility. The result is a chair that feels architectural and composed: quietly handsome, deeply material, and undeniably authentic.

Originally made to live in a dining suite or parlor setting, it now stands beautifully on its own as an accent chair, desk chair, or collected interior piece—bringing history into a space without making it feel themed.

Design & Construction

→ Form & Style

A transitional American form bridging late 19th-century structure with early 20th-century refinement. The upright stance, clean planes, and framed back panel create a tailored presence—classic without being ornate, substantial without being heavy.

→ Back Panel

The back features a framed inset panel with dramatic, symmetrical grain—an element that reads almost like a piece of woodwork architecture. It’s the visual centerpiece of the chair, and the detail that gives it its quiet authority.

→ Legs & Structure

The front legs are turned with crisp ring detailing, grounded by squared block transitions. This combination—turning paired with geometry—is a hallmark of the period and adds both strength and design clarity. The overall build reads stable and confident, the way good antique seating should.

→ Wood

Constructed in solid hardwoods typical of Lenox Shops production. The exact species is difficult to confirm from photos alone, but the chair presents with the weight, grain presence, and density you want in a true early-20th-century piece.

→ Joinery

Built for longevity with traditional furniture joinery expected of quality regional makers. This chair was made to endure a lifetime of use—and then some.

Restoration Details

Refurbished with the Viridian approach: elevate the story, preserve the integrity, and never over-modernize the surface.

→ Prepped with care to protect the underlying structure and preserve the piece’s age-earned character
→ Finished in a custom black cherry base to create depth, warmth, and a richer shadowed tone
→ Layered with walnut accents to enhance edges, framing, and the natural movement of the grain
→ Sealed for a soft, classic sheen—intentional, not glossy—so the chair still reads antique, not “new”

The finish brings out what was always there: proportion, craftsmanship, and the natural beauty of the wood.

Maker & Identifiers

This chair bears the original Lenox Shops Furniture label from Canastota, N.Y.—a maker known for well-built American furniture during the early 20th century.

→ Maker’s label: Lenox Shops Furniture, Canastota, NY
→ Pattern marking: Model 618 (factory model/pattern identifier)

These details matter—they place the chair in a real lineage, not just a style category.

History & Provenance

The period spanning 1916–1933 was a defining chapter in American interiors. Households were moving away from Victorian heaviness toward rooms that felt more intentional—still traditional, but cleaner, calmer, and more architectural. Makers like Lenox Shops produced pieces that honored earlier design language while adapting it for modern living.

Chairs like this were commonly used in dining rooms, libraries, and parlors—practical furniture with a sense of dignity. Today, they’re prized for the same reasons: they’re sturdy, timeless, and visually grounded in a way modern mass production rarely achieves.

Condition

→ Structurally solid and functional
→ Refurbished finish in black cherry and walnut
→ Light, honest wear consistent with age may remain in minor areas, retained intentionally to preserve authenticity
→ Ready for daily use, styling, or display

Product Details

→ Piece: Side chair
→ Maker: Lenox Shops Furniture
→ Origin: Canastota, New York, USA
→ Date: circa 1916–1933
→ Style: Eastlake / Aesthetic Movement influence with early Colonial Revival restraint
→ Finish: Viridian Eclection custom black cherry and walnut
→ Pattern: Model 618
→ Quantity: One (1)

Dimensions
→ Width: [insert]
→ Depth: [insert]
→ Height: [insert]
→ Seat Height: [insert]
(Measurements within ½ inch)

Why It Belongs in Your Home

This chair isn’t loud—and that’s exactly the point.

It brings presence through proportion, material, and discipline: the crisp geometry of the frame, the quiet rhythm of the turning, and the way the black cherry and walnut finish deepens every line without ever feeling heavy. It’s the kind of piece that makes a room feel collected—like it was assembled with taste rather than purchased in a rush.

Placed at a desk, pulled up as an extra dining chair, or styled alone in a corner with a small table and a lamp, it offers something rare: true craftsmanship, honest age, and a calm, architectural elegance that never goes out of style.

If you send me the measurements, I’ll drop them in and tighten the copy to fit your exact listing page length (short / medium / long).