Get Inspired!

Learn about our craftsmanship & French Country style

French Country style is one of the most popular decors today. It is regularly featured in magazines, books, and television shows. It's a return to basics -- where people are looking for furniture that functions with "real life" demands. It's a look that reflects simpler times, bringing back farmhouse ambiance with a contemporary feel.

As it becomes harder to find quality antiques, more people are shopping online for custom furnishings that they can't find in local stores. For that reason, Kate Madison sells furniture inspired by 1880s antiques including; farm tables, armoires, buffets, dressers, beds and more. All our furniture is built using top-quality, aged pine, then finished in traditional milk-paint for an antiqued appearance. Kate Madison set out to build furniture that lasts — because quality furniture of today is an antique of tomorrow.

Kate Madison sees interest from customers that own colonial homes to owners of modern city lofts. They like the versatility of the furniture. What appeals to decorators, and homeowners, is the antiqued look balanced with the modern functionality. For example, the Stanton Computer Armoire (shown left) looks like an 1880s antique when closed, but when open, functions as a home office with room for a computer and all the extras. Ultimately, it's about having a home that is comfortable and elegant, with furnishing that have lasting style.

About the Craftsmanship

All of our furniture is made of solid-wood milled, and constructed in a experienced, 25-year-old workshop in Quebec, Canada. A group of 19 expert craftspeople and cabinet makers build each piece to your specifications. We make furniture of new and old pine wood then finish it to have an antiqued appearance. Our items feature expertly crafted crown molding, beveled and raised panels, turned legs, wood pulls, and custom-joints. None of our products contain plywood, pressboard or staples. We craft each piece, like it's one of a kind.

About the Milk-Paint Finishes

At Kate Madison we finish each piece with the highest quality, liquid-based Milk-Paint. Milk paint was used to color furniture and interiors of houses during the colonial period -- but, its origins date back to Ancient Egypt. Colonist created the durable mixture out of milk protein, quicklime, and earth pigments to create brilliant, and fade-resistant finishes. It's a technique that's used today in fine furniture making. Each color is rich in depth and authentically reflect an "antique" or "old country" look.

Because of the lasting-color, many 100 year-old antiques still have the same richness of color as when they were originally painted. The texture and character is also quite beautiful, it has a flat, course texture, and transparent quality. Modern latex and oil base paints do not have the same durability and texture that is found in Milk Paint. We take care to finish your furniture because we believe that custom-made furniture of today is an antique of tomorrow.