Shaker retiring room with a wall of built-in drawers and cupboards and a wooden peg rail — The Metropolitan Museum of Art. CC0 (Met Open Access). View the source record

Retiring Room Built-ins from the North Family Dwelling, Mount Lebanon (c. 1830–40)

Built-in cupboards, drawers and peg rail from a Shaker retiring room in the North Family Dwelling at Mount Lebanon, New York, the Shakers' central community, made about 1830–40.

Design characteristics

Shaker retiring rooms were bedrooms shared by members of a 'family' within the community, and their storage was built into the walls. This installation at the Metropolitan Museum shows the essentials of Shaker interiors: a wall of drawers and cupboards with plain panelled doors, a continuous peg rail for hanging chairs, clothes and tools, and simple, well-proportioned trim. Every element is functional, and the beauty comes from proportion and finish. It is perhaps the most influential storage design in American history and still looks modern today.

Classification

Style: Shaker
Category: Built-ins & Bookcases
Material: Pine
Motifs: Built in drawers, Peg rail
Date: ca. 1830–40
Maker or designer: United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing (“Shakers”)
Recorded medium: Wood
Dimensions: Dimensions unavailable
Evidence: Documented historical object
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art