joelm

If you make furniture for yourself do whatever makes you feel good.
If you make furniture for others do whatever makes them feel good (and if you charge them gives good value).

Dovetailing a joint together is a basic skill that traditional woodworkers needed to master in order to make a living. It was not considered any more difficult than any other operation. It's only recently that a mystique developed.

If mastering a skill makes you feel good this is a skill that can be easily mastered but needs practice.

If on the other hand you don't see the point of mastering the skill don't master it.

Personally I think however that if you do period furniture anything but period construction looks odd.