Eye of the Beholder

Michael Moore is a visionary. He sees what others can’t. And he builds it. Using mostly reclaimed Missouri lumber from old houses, barns or any building that is being torn down, Michael handcrafts unique, one-of-a-kind furniture.

“Using salvaged wood gives a furniture piece a charm and warmth you just can’t get using new lumber,” says Michael. “It instills a sense of history when you add corbels from an old church to a sofa table or door panels from a razed building to a hutch.”

John Michael Originals Furniture Company began in a garage in Hannibal, Missouri, in 2001. “I’ve always had an eye for antiques,” says Michael, “and have enjoyed going to flea markets. When I saw the furniture that had been crafted from salvaged materials, I was intrigued.”

What started as a hobby has grown into a bustling business that includes a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and nine employees.  Michael’s son, John, works alongside his dad, crafting furniture and coordinating color schemes. “We call our look ‘shabby chic with color,’” says Michael, whose furniture is painted, stained and then sealed. Customers can choose from seven standard hues, and Michael can also customize a color to a client’s needs.
 
John Michael Originals’ designs lend themselves to several looks, from French Country to a lodge look or a cottage style and are shown at Riverside Originals in Hannibal, at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, Canada, and at stores throughout the Midwest and the southern United States. Locally, customers can purchase the line at Three French Hens in Wildwood. Owner Jeanie Hood is proud to say that John Michael Originals is one of their top-selling furniture lines.
 
“Michael’s talent is unmatched. He can build anything to a customer’s specifications,” says Jeanie. “He takes something so old and creates a thing of beauty and function.”

From dining tables, hutches, wine racks and vanities to bookcases, end tables and consoles, Michael’s designs are limitless. “What brings me great pride is that the furniture is made in Missouri,” says Jeanie.

Sure to become heirlooms in their new homes, the extraordinary designs that are John Michael Originals have their own stories to tell, and thanks to Michael, the endings are always happy.

RESOURCES
John Michael Moore, www.johnmichaeloriginals.com
Furnishings available at Three French Hens, www.threefrenchhensantiques.com