In a world where human-made, synthetic materials are on the rise, we can’t help but find our appreciation for natural elements growing by the minute.
Bowen Liu
Bowen Liu is the Brooklyn based maker behind Bowen Liu Studio and her objects and furniture are infused with inspiration from cultures modern art and design...
...history and personal life experiences including her upbringing in Beijing studies at Beijing Forestry University and a summer immersion in furniture design in Denmark
(That’s also her Helles Collection—and her reflection in the mirror—in the featured image at the top of this post.)
Aspen Golann
Artist and furniture maker Aspen Golann specializes in updated versions of early American tools and furniture forms like the Windsor chair, adding a contemporary edge or sculptural element to each creation.
As the daughter of a cabinet maker, Carolanne Joannette-Racine grew up with a love for wood—so it’s no surprise that her hobby of carving wooden spoons turned into her career.
Carolanne Joannette-Racine
She uses hand tools to produce beautiful, one-of-a-kind spoons that are primed to become family heirlooms, and a coating of food-safe oil ensures they’ll last for generations.
Based in Victoria, British Columbia, woodworker Elise McLauchlan carves bowls, spice grinders, sculptures, and more using local Canadian wood. Or you can learn to carve yourself with her Texture Carving Kit ($110), which is equally suitable for beginners and experts.
Elise McLauchlan
Hanna Dausch
Hannah Dausch was also born into a life of craftsmanship, with a woodworker grandfather, a painter grandmother, a gardener mother, and a refinisher father. Her Tall Table Lamp ($400), shown here, has a pleated shade.
Jayne Armstrong
With an Instagram handle like @jane_againstthegrain, we knew we were going to like Jayne Armstrong. The artist aims to create objects that matter, slowly and authentically, using wood local to her home in Brittany, France.
Melanie Abrantes
Oakland, CA-based craftsperson Melanie Abrantes founded Melanie Abrantes Designs in 2013.
She also spreads the joys of woodworking through Mel’s Carving Club (in which members receive a new carving project on their doorstep every month), carving workshops, and her book, Carve: A Simple Guide to Whittling.
Lucinda Goulden
From her home workshop in Wiltshire, UK, Lucinda Goulden crafts gorgeous makeup brushes by combining the traditional methods of woodturning and hand-tying natural brush fibers.
Siosi
The duo has spent the past decade crafting minimalist furniture in their Bloomington, Indiana, studio, using local, sustainable hardwoods and zero- or low-VOC hand-rubbed finishes.
Kaori Takahashi is one half of Devon, UK-based studio Takahashi McGil, her collaboration with her husband Mark McGilvray. The couple blends Japanese traditions with Western techniques to create detailed wooden homewares.
Kaori Takahashi