Toronto furniture maker Dustin Kroft never attended formal coursework in design, but was a lifelong student of the process: He spent his youth making and refinishing furniture for fun, while carefully observing the works of architects and designers he admired. He built his first business, a moving company, while still in college, and discovered that he loved the design and branding parts of it more than anything else. After growing the venture into a profitable company, Dustin enrolled in a nighttime woodworking class at a local school, and in no time at all, the father of three sold his first business and started another—Kroft—making handmade wood furniture in Toronto.
Dustin set up shop in late 2014, heavy on passion and light on direction, but over time he learned the market and found a solid niche between custom woodworking and off-the-shelf design. Kroft now offers a full product line for residential and commercial use—some pieces stocked and some made-to-order—each made by hand by one of three makers in Dustin’s Toronto shop. For more information, visit Kroft.
Above: A selection of Kroft tables and benches.
Above: Kroft’s Trestle Table is made of a lacquered wood base with trestle-style legs and a Canadian ash top with a rounded, bullnose finish. Available in five finishes with a two- to three-week lead time, the table is $2,890 CAD (about $2,372 USD). Above: The matching Bench is also made of Canadian white ash, available in natural or one of Kroft’s five custom finishes. It’s 67 inches long (to match the Trestle Table), but can be produced in custom lengths. The bench starts at $1,080 CAD ($886 USD) in natural. Above: Dustin found inspiration for his Nightstand 003 from the Shakers’ “timeless and honest designs, by-products of their focus on function.” It’s part of a made-to-order collection of black wood furniture encasing natural ash drawers. Contact Kroft for a quote. Above: Kroft’s freestanding Clothing Rack adds extra storage space to hallways and bedrooms. Made from ash wood and powder-coated steel with a slung fabric base, the rack requires self-assembly at home; $795 CAD ($652 USD). Above: Kroft launched the Round Table earlier this year; its rounded wood legs in ash, oak, or walnut support a thin circular top made of wood or marble. The table starts at $3,370 CAD ($2,765 USD) for the marble top and ash wood base shown here. Above: HNGR is an adjustable hanging rack for books, magazines, and bags or for hanging or drying clothing. It can be mounted from the ceiling or into the wall, and is made of ash wood, nylon braid, and powder-coated steel. It starts at $159 CAD ($130 USD) for a single rack with 32-inch cord. Above: A perennial Kroft favorite, the Floor Mirror is always stocked for quick shipping. It comes with nonslip rubber feet and optional installation hardware. Also available in black, the mirror is $990 CAD ($812 USD) for the natural oak version shown here.
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