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 Tell us how you decided to create your own
custom furniture line.
We did not really consciously “decide” to create
a line – it just happened organically. We have
worked together for 20 years, and just a few
years in we were working on a lovely Bauhaus
home with a back terrace that steps down into
a fern garden. Our client loved her fiddlehead ferns,
so we made a special table for her with a base
inspired by those unfurled fiddleheads.
Over time, there have been instances where we
could not find certain items to complete the rooms
we were working on. Each item in our line has been
designed to fill a very specific site-driven need. If
the space called out for something of a particular
size, shape, or finish, we crafted what we needed
for the client.
How involved are you in the production of
your pieces?
Completely involved. Our pieces are bench-made items. We select the materials – in some cases the
whole block of wood – and make the items by hand. Our studio is set up so we can carve, plane and
finish the materials and we do those steps ourselves. It is like having a really expensive basement!
I (Arturo) studied Industrial Design at College for Creative Studies and Interiors at Wayne State. Barry
has an Engineering background. We love the process of touching each piece and finishing it by hand.
The plan is to remain a hand-made furniture company.
Will there come a day when the furniture business will replace your interior design work?
We certainly hope not! It is our interior design work that inspires the items in our line. We are lucky to
have some of the nicest clients – and we really enjoy our work. The furniture business has grown,
though. We are represented at Michigan Design Center by Tennant & Associates and it is our dream
to be represented in key design centers across the country.
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