About Mackenzie-Dow

When you purchase a fine quality design from MacKenzie-Dow, you'll experience a surprisingly timeless blend of Old World heritage and modern-day practicality. That's because we specialize in the craftsmanship of superb quality 17th and 18th-century European-inspired solid wood furnishings that resonate as well today as they did years ago.

Situated in West Virginia, our local craftsmen and women employ centuries-old woodworking and joinery techniques to construct elegant creations that promise both enduring value and sophisticated style. Working with Wild Black Cherry, a species native to America's abundant Appalachian forests, we appreciate nature's blemishes that do not affect the structural integrity of our product. In fact, small splits, knots and other natural "defects" become attributes rather than flaws with the addition of an unparalleled finish that begs to be touched, not to mention used in a home full of life. At MacKenzie-Dow, we don't make excuses for the ingrained characteristics of solid Appalachian Black Cherry. In fact, we celebrate them with an incomparably soft, hard-planed finish that lets nature do all the talking.

Inspired by the sturdy furnishings common to the 17th and 18th century English pubs and taverns, MacKenzie-Dow's English Pub Collection offers designs for every room in the home. Casual, yet sophisticated, these authentic, one-of-a-kind pieces employ age-old cabinetmaking techniques such as planking, dovetailing, mortise and tenon, and square peg construction.

Crafted of solid Wild Black Cherry from America's own Appalachian forests, the English Pub Collection is available in one of four distinctive finishes:

• The "Wheatland" finish, a medium brown hue softened with almond-yellow undertones.
• The "Natural" finish, created without stain and, therefore, reminiscent to "blond" wood.
• The "Malt" finish, a more traditional amber shade that falls between the two.
• The "Porter" finish, our darkest finish option.

The result is rendered even more charming by a hand-wiped, black glazing process that "catches" in the wood's inherent distressing, creating an aged effect, akin to well-worn furniture.

Floating Panel Construction

Because solid wood constantly expands and contracts due to changes in the environment, we use floating panel construction, which allows for continuous panel movement. Enpansion gaskets or "spacers" ensure a snug fit and virtually eliminate rattling of panels. In addition, we pre-stain all panels prior to construction to avoid the "halo" effect caused by white wood showing when the panel contracts.

Drawer Construction

To ensure a better fit, all MacKenzie-Dow drawers are individually fitted and numbered during the cabinetmaking process and then side-hung to ensure a more stable gliding action than occurs with center-hung drawers. English dovetail construction, a hallmark of superb quality, provides lasting stability.

Tabletop Joinery

MacKenzie-Dow offers both 1-inch solid glued table tops and true 1 1/8-inch plank-top tables using mortise and tenon joints and spline and groove construction. Both solid and plank-top tables feature perpendicular "bread board" ends designed to both finish the end grain and stabilize the table top while reducing the possibility of warping.

Hand Planing

To prepare our solid wood surfaces for sanding and finishing, we employ hand planing, a centuries-old technique that ensures that no two pieces will ever be alike. Unlike machine-planed tops, our table tops offer an authentic 18th century look.