My work is primarily residential, including tables, chairs, desks, hutch and sideboard cabinets, dining sets, kitchens, home offices, bathrooms, and libraries. I design and build. I work primarily on commission, although I have sold gallery pieces as well. Over the years I’ve also had the chance to work on some interesting commercial projects, including restaurant cabinetry and booths, boutique display cabinets, cabinetry for a dentist office, manicure tables for a nail salon, satellite component storage for a major commercial satellite manufacturer, and a corporate reception area. And finally, I’m approached periodically for something out of the ordinary: a bishop’s staff, a case for a silver chalice, a Celtic cross for a church steeple, steam room seating, meditation benches and small boxes and jewelry cases.
I think of my approach as one of interpretation and translation. I “interpret my clients” by understanding their artistic preferences and functional needs. I then work to “translate” what I learn from them into the pieces I build. Of course, successful custom work not only relies on this kind of synergy, but on knowledge of the history of furniture design. I am influenced in particular by the beauty of classic Japanese and Chinese forms, the simplicity and honesty of the Arts & Crafts movement, and the power and creativity of the current revival of fine woodworking over the last 50 years.
I work in a variety of woods, both domestic and import, and have longstanding relationships with my suppliers. Because of this, I can offer my clients a wide array of material choices. And, these choices are guided by an awareness of the environmental issues that face us today.