Synopsis: This corner chair is loosely based on one that was made in New York around 1765. The cabriole legs, relief-shell carving, and curved front rails reflect the earlier Queen Anne period, while the ball-and-claw feet and intricate splats reflect the later Chippendale style. Though the chair has lots of curves, the construction is simple mortise-and-tenon joinery without the compound angles found on many chairs. If you aren’t a confident carver, eliminate the shell, replace the ball-and-claw foot with a pad foot, and you’ll still have a very handsome chair.

The corner chair, sometimes called a roundabout chair, became fashionable in England and America in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Supposedly created for a gentleman to sit on while wearing his broad coat and sword, it may owe its name simply to the fact that it sits nicely in the corner of a room. Regardless, it provides…