New Furniture

I confess. I tend to get pretty attached to my stuff. I still have my childhood stuffed bison – which my parents named Teddy – I swear! – that was chewed, squeezed, thrown, stomped and drooled upon. And I’ll never throw it away.

But anyone who has been to my house lately would probably agree that some of my furniture is getting pretty worn and ragged. I have a chair with a chunk out of one of the legs thanks to my puppy, and a sofa with the stuffing coming out of one of the cushions. For awhile, I just turned that cushion over but now the stuffing is coming out of both sides and the throw blanket covering that spot isn’t fooling anyone.

So I’m going furniture shopping. Did you know January and February were two of the best months of the year to shop for furniture? Fortunately, Yellowstone Country has dozens of designers and furniture makers who specialize in the Western rustic style of furniture that was first made famous by Thomas Molesworth, who supplied distinctive Western-style furniture to some of Cody’s finest guest and dude ranches from the 1930s through the ‘60s.

I’m thinking of replacing the chair and sofa with two chairs, an accent table and a table lamp. The hardest thing about doing this is deciding which fabulous piece to buy!

You’ve probably heard of Doug Nordberg, who often incorporates antlers and generously stuffed fur-covered cushions in his furniture designs for Nordberg Furniture. Estes Woodworks is another great place to shop for furniture. I’ve had my eye on one of their leather-topped tables for ages. Marc Taggart is another great furniture designer. There’s a barrel chair covered in suede and edged with fringe trim that would look terrific in the corner of my living room.

Most of the two dozen or so furniture builders in town will provide you with tours of their showrooms, and they’re happy to talk to you about how they craft their unique pieces. And their furniture is also sold in the many galleries and shops in town.

And of course nearly all of these designers participate in Cody High Style, where their furniture is celebrated in exhibits, highlighted in seminars and on display during studio tours.

January and February can be on the quiet side, so it’s a great time to shop for that perfect piece for your home. I think I might even have a little party once I replace the furniture. Perhaps we can have a little ceremony when I throw out the throw blanket and carefully place Teddy in just the right spot on my new table.

Until next time I’ll be busy measuring and shopping for western style furniture in Cody!