On Tuesday, October 2, 2012 8:59:23 AM UTC-7, Larry Kraus wrote:
"SonomaProducts.com" wrote: I spend hours getting my Stickley reproduction designs as exact as possible, measuring from eBay photos and Stickley catlogs. I did a run of very small round tables, in Cherry (not classic). Something you might use as a plant stand. I exercise exacting detail. I did an oil finish (tried and true) that took a few weeks to complete. I give one to a dear friend for his birthday. His wife says "Hey great, we can use it as a stool in the shower!" I help them understand maybe it won't hold up to the use in a wet environment. Now a few weeks later I get an email. "Hey I want to give one of your stools to a friend. Do you have another one? Could you whack an inch off of the legs and add some adjusters to the bottom in-case they have an uneven floor?" Maybe I can get him something from Ikea. He won't know the difference. :-( Keep in mind that the whole Arts & Crafts (Stickley) thing was supposed to be about simple functionality. A stool is meant to be used, not admired in an art gallery. Whack off a leg instead of an inch. Three legs will be stable on that uneven floor.

I agree that utility is a key component of the style. The things I make are beautiful and useful. However, this particular piece would fall apart if they used it in the shower for very long. Oil finish would not stop water problems that would eventually kill it. I did use pinned tenons so it would hang on for a while but would give up the ghost eventually. Also, people pay for some of my stuff like art when I have something beautiful enough to charge like that.