The New Yankee Workshop

S02E05 Hearthside Settle

Norm heads to Gloucester, Massachusetts, to examine a beautifully designed high-backed, curved hearthside settle at Beauport, the residence of the renowned 20th-century interior designer and antiques expert, Henry Sleeper. This historic home is now a museum operated by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Norm's adaptation of this pine masterpiece incorporates a storage compartment beneath the seat, complete with an access hatch. He demonstrates techniques for cutting the curved cross-members and shaping the side panels, as well as joining the back boards using tongue-and-groove methods and bending the back base board to fit the frame.