Best of Boston

In the traditional-furniture smackdown, the allure of an artisan hunched over his work right here in Massachusetts always wins out. So in Dovetail, a 20-year-old family-owned company based in Holden, just 50 miles from Boston, it was clear that we had our champ. Using hand-selected hardwoods, these folks turn out masterfully crafted, individually signed Shaker, Mission, Arts and Crafts, and Prairie furnishings, as well as custom work fit for any Ivy League reading room. Which, since Dovetail counts Harvard, Yale, and Princeton among its customers, only stands to reason.