Allan Rutherford is committed to creating fine furniture and accessories with unique and enduring design and materials. Working principally in solid hardwoods in the Mission, Arts and Crafts, or Craftsman Style, Allan builds both classic reproductions and modern interpretations of original master designs, resulting in Mission furniture for the twenty first century.

Sustainable Furniture from Sustainable Forestry

At Riverworks Studio, we use the highest quality cabinet grade hardwoods in the construction of our solid wood furniture. We believe that the future of fine furniture is in sustainable forestry products.

In Allan Rutherford’s words:

Creating functional and beautiful things from wood gives me great satisfaction. I am constantly researching designs for new work from classic pieces seen in shops, museums, homes and magazines. Eventually the images coalesce into a design which I can call my own and the pleasurable part of the process begins: selecting the wood at the mill and laying it out in the shop to select the best use for each piece in terms of colour and grain; and cutting and planing the material to rough size for the project. As the piece begins to emerge from the stack of boards, details of the design often change or develop to suit my evolving vision of the finished work. I enjoy the freedom of this design/build process and I am consistently very pleased with the results.

Mission Style (Craftsman Style) furniture is one of my favourite sources of inspiration. The simplicity and functionality of the style, combined with challenging construction details such as the extensive use of mortise & tenon joinery make for an opportunity to both test and improve my cabinet making skills.

White oak, red oak, cherry and walnut are species which lend themselves well to Mission inspired work and all are a pleasure to work and finish. For finishing, there is a broad range of suitable stains in the Varathane and Minwax product lines which lend themselves well to modern Mission furniture. All pieces are then finished with multiple coats of hand-wiped polyurethane.

I take great pleasure in working with clients to design a piece of furniture which will both meet their needs and expectations and become a source of pride in their homes. Every piece is unique and will not be duplicated but will become a part of my evolution as a craftsman.