Cabinetmaking is the skilled craft of designing and constructing fine furniture, particularly case pieces such as cabinets, chests of drawers, bureaux, bookcases and tables. It developed as a distinct trade in England during the late seventeenth century, when the arrival of walnut veneering and new continental techniques required greater precision than the traditional joiner's craft.
A cabinetmaker works with carefully selected timbers, using dovetail joints, veneers, inlay, mouldings and fine finishing to create furniture that is both beautiful and structurally sound. The eighteenth century is often regarded as the golden age of English cabinetmaking, associated with names such as Thomas Chippendale, George Hepplewhite, Thomas Sheraton and the Lancaster firm of Gillows. When assessing antique furniture, the quality of cabinetmaking can be seen in the fineness of the dovetails, the choice of figured veneers, the accuracy of drawer fitting and the attention given to secondary timbers and hidden surfaces.
