Paul Rulli at age ten was well on his way to developing a lifelong interest in the history, culture, art, and temperament of colonial America. Born and raised within walking distance of Old Sturbridge Village, he was a frequent visitor and eager student.
Granted access to his father’s warehouse and tools, his love of woodworking and using antique tools merged to create a desire to build period furniture with traditional methods.
Rulli earned a degree in civil engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. Years later, this training proved an asset in his careful renderings and attention to detail in making period furniture. While working as an engineer, he continued to study 17th- and 18th-Century furniture, its makers, and local influences so he could make furniture appropriate for the two antique homes he restored.
He became a full-time period furniture maker in 1998 when he opened his shop in a former New England factory. His work is characterized by hand-cut dovetails, crisply carved ball and claw feet, shells, flame finials, vine work, and open fretwork. He offers standard pieces or custom designs in cherry, mahogany, and maple, finished in the customer’s stain and color preference. He can reproduced a custom piece from a photo, historical reference, or personal design. Although self-taught in cabinet making and joinery, he continues to attend classes and view museum collections to inform his work.
Rulli is a member of the Society of American Period Furniture Makers and has been listed for several years in the Directory of Traditional American Crafts. He lives with his wife, Lynn, in a period home in Woodstock, Connecticut.
Artisans wishing to participate in the 2021 Directory of Traditional American Crafts™ may download applications by clicking here. Because of the uncertainty of mail delivery caused by the Pandemic, we have extended the deadline for entries. We will accept entries postmarked by February 15, 2021. Those selected will be notified after judging in April, 2021. The 2021 Directory of Traditional American Crafts™ will appear in the August 2021 issue of Early American Life.
1,994 days until America's Sestercentennial
Coming Up This Weekend
Many events listed on our calendar have been postponed or cancelled as a precaution to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, now a pandemic. If you must (or choose) to attend an event, we suggest you call and verify that it will be taking place as planned.
Subscribers' Notes
Our December 2020 edition has been printed on schedule and is on its way to all of our subscribers. Because of the Covid-19 situation, postal delivery sometimes is taking longer than usual, so please be patient. Subscribers should get their magazines before Decembesr begins. Email us at subscribe@firelandsmedia.com if you suspect you have had a delivery problem—because our offices remained closed for the protection of our staff, we cannot answer telephone queries at this time.
All new web subscriptions will start with the February 2021 issue. Please email us at subscribe@firelandsmedia.com if you have other subscription requirements.