Timeless Lexington Pieces That Showcase Kentucky’s Eye For Design
Saddle up for a journey through Lexington’s finest design treasures! These timeless pieces capture the true spirit of Kentucky style, blending Bluegrass charm with handcrafted marvels.
Get ready to discover local classics that bring a splash of Southern flair and show why Lexington’s eye for design is second to none.
Y’all won’t want to miss these gems that prove great style is always in season!
1. Henry Faulkner’s Radiant Paintings
Splashes of color dance across canvases that capture Kentucky’s soul in unexpected ways. Henry Faulkner’s artwork transforms ordinary Bluegrass landscapes into dreamlike visions that feel both familiar and fantastical.
This Lexington artist combined folk art traditions with modern expressionism, creating a signature style that art collectors still eagerly seek today. His pieces often feature vibrant farmscapes, whimsical animals, and floral explosions that seem almost alive.
Fun fact: Faulkner was good friends with Tennessee Williams and frequently exchanged letters with the famous playwright!
2. Churchill Weavers’ Handloomed Textiles
Intricate patterns emerge from wooden looms operated by skilled hands that have perfected techniques passed down through generations. These handwoven treasures blend traditional Appalachian craftsmanship with sophisticated design sensibilities.
Churchill Weavers, founded in Lexington, produced textiles that gained international recognition for their exceptional quality and distinctive patterns. Each blanket, scarf, and table runner tells a story of Kentucky’s textile heritage through its unique combination of colors and textures.
Many pieces feature natural dyes sourced from local plants, creating colors that subtly reference the Bluegrass landscape.
3. Bybee Pottery’s Earthy Stoneware
Clay, kilns, and centuries of know-how, Bybee Pottery is a Kentucky legend for a reason. These earthy stoneware pieces aren’t just dishes, they’re heirlooms in the making.
With rich glazes in mossy green, deep brown, and sky blue, each mug or mixing bowl feels like it was pulled straight from the Bluegrass soil.
Operating since 1809, Bybee is one of the oldest potteries in the U.S., and every piece still bears the unmistakable touch of human hands. The forms may be humble, pitchers, plates, bowls, but their quiet beauty and durability make them beloved staples in Lexington kitchens and collector shelves alike.
It’s everyday elegance, Kentucky style.
4. Warren May’s Dulcimers
Musical instruments double as wall-worthy sculptures in these masterpieces of functional design. Crafted from locally sourced cherry, walnut, and maple, each dulcimer represents the perfect marriage of acoustic science and visual artistry.
Warren May’s workshop in Lexington has produced these iconic Kentucky instruments for decades. Musicians praise their rich, warm tones, while collectors appreciate the exquisite inlay work and smooth, flowing lines that make each piece unique.
May often incorporates traditional Appalachian motifs like the tree of life or mountain landscapes into his intricate headstock designs.
5. Shaker Village Furniture
Clean lines and purposeful design define these pieces that reject ornament in favor of perfect proportion. The absence of decorative elements creates a timeless quality that feels surprisingly modern despite being rooted in 19th-century craftsmanship.
Lexington’s proximity to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill has influenced generations of local furniture makers. The Shakers’ philosophy, “beauty rests on utility”, continues to inspire Kentucky woodworkers who create ladder-back chairs, peg rails, and oval boxes that honor this distinctive heritage.
Many contemporary Lexington homes feature these minimalist designs as counterpoints to more decorative furnishings.
6. Lexington Saddlery Leather Goods
Supple leather transforms under skilled hands into heirloom accessories that honor Kentucky’s equestrian legacy. Master craftspeople apply techniques passed through generations, creating wallets, bags, and belts that develop rich patinas uniquely reflective of their owners’ journeys.
Lexington’s saddlery artisans source premium hides from local tanneries, ensuring each creation maintains connections to Kentucky’s agricultural roots.
These leather goods showcase distinctive hand-tooled patterns. Some featuring abstract interpretations of bluegrass landscapes, others displaying traditional horse-racing motifs. Beyond beauty, these pieces offer extraordinary durability.
A quirky tradition among locals, gifting leather items during Kentucky Derby season. Each bringing handwritten notes predicting how many decades the piece will last before gaining its most beautiful wear marks.
7. Kentucky Bluegrass Quilts
Fabric squares dance together in unexpected harmony, telling Kentucky stories through thread and imagination. These aren’t your grandmother’s traditional quilts, though they honor her techniques.
Modern Lexington quilters blend conventional patterns with avant-garde elements, fragments of concert posters, bourbon labels, and race-day tickets.
The bluegrass inspiration appears in surprising ways. One renowned local quilter incorporates actual pressed bluegrass blades between transparent fabric layers, creating ghostly impressions of the iconic landscape.
Several Kentucky Derby winners have custom quilts made from their racing silks, preserved as textile trophies of their victories.
8. Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Furniture
Weathered oak staves curve gracefully into heirloom-quality pieces that carry whispers of Kentucky’s spirited history. These barrels once nurtured world-famous bourbon through years of aging.
Craftsmen throughout Lexington salvage retired bourbon barrels, transforming them into conversation-starting coffee tables, rocking chairs, and bookshelves. The natural char marks and distillery stamps remain intentionally visible, preserving authentic Kentucky bourbon heritage.
Each Kentucky bourbon barrel creation tells two stories… The distillery’s legacy and the furniture maker’s vision.
