Western Design started out as a necessity. Victorian buffets, French chairs and gilded desks found the Western frontier entirely too harsh for their taste, in other words, they didn't last long. Furniture in the west had to be practical and since room in the wagons was limited it had to created from materials at hand. And it was. Lodge pole pine was the ideal material, easy to find and relatively easy to work and so it goes it was the chosen material of Western Design. Thomas Molesworth created a legacy by creating the first commercial western design furniture at the Shoshone Furniture Company in Cody, Wyoming. He loved bright colors and never shied away from using wonderful and sometimes even garrish colors in his designs, orange, lime green where the ones I remember thinking Whoa! about. My favorites were the blue pieces that he created. It reminds me of the extraordinary blue skies in Wyoming and Montana and I really appreciate his unabashed use of that brilliant blue.

Through his legacy an entire industry was borne. Western Furniture makers such as Marc Taggart and Company (www.marctaggart.com) today create beautiful pieces that replicate his work . Marc's grandparents were close friends of Thomas Molesworth and his favorite room in their home was furnished by Mr. Molesworth. It is only fitting that Marc employ the best artistans in the business to re-create some of his favorite pieces.

Molesworth was a true pioneer and the spirit with which he created runs rampant through the artisans that create western design. New materials, styles and methods have sprung from the roots of western to give the genre a broad depth, one that appeals to both traditionalists and those seeking contemporary lines.

Wonderful examples of western design are available on the website at www.contemporarywesterndesign.com. Hope to see you there soon.