Publisher John McIltrot conducts a Q&A style interview with us about Nutmegger Workshop’s beginnings and why we are inspired by traditional sign writing. For decades, SignCraft has been the leading trade resource for sign makers around the world and we are proud to be included in their latest issue.
25"x14"
In our relentless attempts to channel the golden age of dining, we offer up this recent effort. A rickety tea table found at a thrift shop presented a uniquely-framed tray top and a patina worthy of our attention. As one of our new favorites, this piece is small enough to hang anywhere. Original design.
24"x32" 
Though we’re not in business to produce knock-offs, we most certainly are in business to offer the finest reproductions to accent your well-designed spaces. Our client just had to have this discontinued reproduction from a national retailier, so we were happy to oblige. Its graphic elegance immediately inspired us to research its origins, but mostly to consider script letterforms for upcoming original designs. According to a brief internet post, Eschenlohr Probst Broderies (embroideries) was a textile mill in Nancy, France a century-or-so ago. A signwriter’s timeless work deserving of yet another modern-day encore.
48"x24"
74"x38"
Founded in 1669, the historic coastal town of Westerly, Rhode Island is home to several quintessential New England beaches, including our childhood favorite, Watch Hill. A mile-long beach walk to the end of Napatree Point offers up adventure and exploration of an overgrown Spanish-American War-era canon bunker hidden away in the windswept dunes. We designed this sign to capture the spirit of coastal living and childhood memories. Finished with plenty of personality to add character to our client’s new Westerly summer home. Original design.
Emaillures, or enamellers, were valued artisans in the jewelry and ceramic trades. Baked decorative coatings and inlays put the final touches on treasured works of art. This sign was spotted in a 1908 Paris street scene hanging above a shopfront below the rooms of the historic Hotel de Montmorency. Vintage colors and a worn finish will bring warmth and character to any interior. 4-feet wide.
A second antique tractor enthusiast commissioned us to make another handsome reproduction of the Rumely Oil Pull logo. From 1853 to 1931 Meinrad Rumely’s massive tractors and threshing machines were lauded as the “best tractors ever built.” Nowadays, Rumely collectors gather at events and expositions around the country to proudly display their mechanical relics. Congratulations to our North Dakotan client for finishing the restoration of his historic machine.
Throughout the mid 1800s, Boston’s “Old Corner Bookstore” (circa 1712, Boston’s first brick-made building) was the home of Ticknor and Fields Publishing and was a gathering place for literary giants such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charles Dickens. Ever since, a succession of other publishers and booksellers have occupied the space. Threatened with demolition in 1960, this enchanting building (below, in 1900) was restored and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This authentic-looking sign reproduction is perfect for the historian, the avid reader or bookshop enthusiast. |
60"x12"
New packaging for fair trade food products such as rice, sugar, quinoa, and an eleven-flavor line of chocolate bars incorporate our sign art to resemble brightly colored folk art found on stucco buildings in villages in developing countries. A Bay Area creative firm supplied the distinctive art direction as we executed 20 rustic illustrations for this re-branding effort.
A recent trip to the stormy Oregon coast and a plate of oysters on the half shell inspired us to offer this weathered-looking piece. A useful size at five-feet wide, it’s simplicity will add rustic charm above a sideboard, resting on a mantel, or sitting above a row of upper cabinets. Perfect for a vacation home or beach house. Original design.
He’s an avid wine collector, and she surprised him with this piece to hang outside his new, exquisitely appointed wine room complete with floor-to-ceiling 1,500-bottle storage. Let the entertaining begin! This sign is generously sized at five-feet wide and features a deeply beveled handcrafted, shop-made frame. Original design.
An eastern Oregon doctor and his wife thought it best to honor his grandfather when deciding on an art piece to hang above their stone fireplace. Dr. Roy L. Peterson (and his father as well) worked as a doctor in Boise, Idaho generations ago, often flying to remote backcountry areas to treat his patients. Original design.
An old, stone castle church (1909), that sits within the heart of Portland, Oregon’s trendy east side, needed new interior signage to direct its growing congregation — a project that succesfully married hand-painted vintage signage techniques with modern graphics and letterforms.
This piece celebrates a family’s northern Italian heritage and a beloved little hilltop church that sits high above the community of Besano, overlooking the Swiss border. With sweeping territorial views, this ancient Sanctuary of Our Lady of St. Martin’s Hill, now only open for special occasions, is a favorite destination for locals and visitors alike. Original design.
gon patent attorney’s wife decided his firm’s lobby needed functional art with a bit of scale to fill a void that had needed attention for some time. Our instructions were to design a vintage-style sign that “looked old — but not damaged.” A refined black-and-gold combination with classic early 1900s letter forms make for a warm and trusted greeting. Original design.
