31st Annual Fine Furnishings Show Returns to Providence This November

​For 31 years, Karla Little has been bringing the region's most talented furniture makers and artisans together under one roof. This November 7th and 8th, her Fine Furnishings Show returns to the WaterFire Arts Center at 475 Valley Street in Providence, promising two days packed with handcrafted treasures, live demonstrations, and the rare chance to meet the makers behind the work.
Little's career in show management began long before the Fine Furnishings Show existed. She was running the Newport International Boat Show when she first noticed a gap in the craft show circuit.
"There were a lot of shows that had very few furniture makers, but yet I knew there were a lot of furniture makers in New England," Little said. "So I created the Fine Furnishing Show to focus on the furniture makers and then surround them with artists who were making things for the home."
Three decades later, the show has found its rhythm at the WaterFire Arts Center, a venue Little describes as a "dream building."
"It's on the ground level, lots of windows, spotless bathrooms, hundreds of free parking spaces all around the building," she said. "So it's very easy for both the artists and craftsmen and also the people that attend the event."
Meet the Makers
This year's show runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with exhibitors arriving from across New England, New York and beyond. Most are solo craftsmen designing and building each piece themselves, though some, like Vermont's Pompanoosuc Mills are larger operations with upholsterers and will have a 400-square-foot display of beds, dining sets, and office furniture and more.
One highlight this year is Sterling Miller-Designs, a Brockton, Massachusetts, brother-sister team debuting their own furniture line at the show for the first time.
For Little, meeting the maker in person is part of the appeal, especially given the rise of furniture fraud targeting online shoppers.
"This is your opportunity to come and meet your furniture maker, see their samples, and actually make sure that they're a real person," she said. Many exhibitors also take custom orders on the spot. "You're looking for, say, a dining room table, and he or she happens to have a six-foot table in white oak, and you say, 'Is it possible to make a table that can seat 10 in cherry?' He could then give you a quote and perhaps make a custom piece just for you."
Beyond Furniture
The show extends well past tables and chairs. Weaver Anne Huntington, jewelry maker Jan Franco, and stained-glass artist Cynthia Stanton, who is debuting new lampshades this year, are among the accessory makers on hand. Fine art will also be available in original pieces, framed prints, and smaller gift items like illustrator Carol Way Wood's paperweights.
Students from Boston's North Bennet Street School, the oldest furniture-making program in the country, will showcase their work as well. Flying Shuttle Studio, a Pawtucket weaving program for developmentally challenged adults, will sell placemats and tote bags while collecting fabric donations onsite to support their program.
Returning this year, painters Amy Sloan and Jamie Steinfeld will create live murals to inspire attendees' own home projects, and interior designer Jan Franco will build five room vignettes around the show's "Pieces of Time" theme. A kids' craft table, food truck, cash bar, and live music from local high school musicians round out the weekend.
Admission is $10 for adults, with children under 12 free. Vouchers for half-price VIP admission are available through postcards, the show's Facebook and Instagram pages, and its monthly newsletter.
What to know:
The 31st Annual Fine Furnishings Show will return November 7 and 8, 2026, to the WaterFire Arts Center, Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-4pm
The show continues to spotlight American-made, handcrafted furniture, home decor, fine art, and work from North Bennet Street School students, alongside a select group of craftsmen offering jewelry, fiber arts, and clothing. Organizers note that purchases of handmade items at the show are exempt from sales tax, and many exhibitors welcome custom and commissioned orders beyond what's on display.
More information and tickets are available at finefurnishingshows.com.