Paul Rulli
By the age of ten, Paul Rulli was well on his way to
developing a life long interest in the history, culture, art,
and temperament of colonial America. Born and raised in
Sturbridge Massachusetts within walking distance of Old
Sturbridge Village, Paul was a frequent visitor and an eager
student. This eagerness and sincerity prompted Paul’s father
to grant access to the workshop and the tools therein. It
wasn’t long before the love of woodworking and the beauty of
antique woodworking tools merged to create a desire to build
Period American Furniture using authentic methods.
After High School, Paul took the traditional path of the
men of his time and pursued a degree in Civil Engineering from
Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. Years later, this
training proved to be an asset in the careful renderings and
attention to details the art of reproduction furniture making
requires.
During his student years and while pursuing his career,
Paul’s love for 17 th and 18 th century
America only grew. During this time, the restoration of two
antique homes and eventually the furniture appropriate to
these homes began to take precedence over his engineering
career. Every spare moment was spent studying the furniture,
its makers, and the local influence of the period. The
basement workshop soon grew too small and in 1998 Paul began
his life long dream of becoming a full time furniture maker.
Currently housed in a typical New England factory, Paul’s
workshop is a spacious, well lit working studio crammed with
his collection of antique tools and works in progress.
Although self taught in cabinet making and joinery, Paul’s
search for knowledge has led to attending classes at the North
Bennett Street School and membership in SAPFM (Society of
American Period Furniture Makers). He has also been fortunate
enough to view the Garvan collection at Yale University and
never misses an opportunity to visit Winterthur.
Paul’s crowning achievement has been his selection into
the Early American
Life Directory of Early American Craftsman for
the last 5 years.
Paul and his wife Lynn reside in beautiful Woodstock
Connecticut in yet another antique home.
