Embracing the Rhythm of the Craft
As I step into the workshop, the scent of freshly sanded wood fills the air, mingling with the rhythmic hum of power tools. This is where the magic happens – where raw materials are transformed into works of art, where the collaboration between human and nature takes center stage. Welcome to the world of bespoke furniture creation, a realm where every piece is a unique symphony of form, function, and the unspoken stories of the trees that once stood tall.
Growing up on a farm, I learned early on that life is a delicate dance between decay and renewal, a constant cycle of giving and taking. This understanding has been the foundation of my approach to woodworking, a deeply personal and spiritual endeavor that transcends the mere creation of furniture. At Unfinished Furniture, we believe that every piece we craft holds a piece of the divine, a testament to the beauty and resilience of the natural world.
Unlocking the Secrets of the Wood
When a new project begins, it’s not just about selecting the right materials – it’s about unveiling the hidden narratives within the wood itself. Each slab, each knot, each grain pattern tells a story, a tale of weathering and growth that has been etched into the very fiber of the material. Our job, as bespoke furniture makers, is to listen to these stories and let them guide us in our design choices.
It’s a delicate dance, this process of collaboration with the wood. We might start with a grand vision, but it’s ultimately the character of the material that shapes the final outcome. Take, for instance, the black walnut bedroom suite we recently completed for a client. The design and joinery of the pieces – the king-sized bed, the side tables, the dresser – were not mere aesthetic choices, but rather a response to the unique qualities of the wood itself.
“The design and joinery of the pieces in this group hopefully don’t arbitrarily feature pretty slabs of wood but intend to capture or rather release the light and cadence of the old trees we collaborated with to build humble furniture.”
The trees we used for this project came from various locations – the Walnut River valley near Augusta, Kansas, a draw on the county line between Greenwood and Elk counties, and the banks of the Arkansas River near Winfield. Each had its own story to tell, its own distinct personality that we sought to honor in the final pieces. The way the wood had dried, the patterns of the grain, the presence of knots and fractures – all of these elements became the canvas upon which we built our vision.
The Dance of Craftsmanship
But it’s not just about listening to the wood; it’s also about the skilled dance of craftsmanship that transforms these raw materials into something truly remarkable. At Unfinished Furniture, we take great pride in our attention to detail, our commitment to traditional techniques, and our willingness to let the process guide us.
Take, for instance, the 500-plus ebony and walnut butterfly joints that adorn the pieces in the black walnut bedroom suite. These intricate inlays serve not only a structural function, but also a visual one, adding a rhythmic element that complements the movement and tension inherent in the wood. Each butterfly was individually crafted by hand, a testament to the beauty of imperfection and the value of the human touch.
“This isn’t necessarily a testament to skill but to the frail beauty of hand-made lines versus machined perfection. The long labor isn’t to impress but hopes to be a contemplative act of prayer in process and to invite and serve that same response in the viewer.”
The same level of care and attention can be seen in the structural joints of the furniture, where we’ve employed the timeless techniques of through-mortise and tenon, as well as hand-cut dovetails. These methods not only ensure the structural integrity of the pieces but also imbue them with a sense of timelessness and authenticity.
And let’s not forget the hardware – reclaimed spikes from a derelict centenarian railroad bridge, repurposed and given new life in the service of our creations. It’s these small but meaningful touches that set our work apart, that remind us of the deep connections between past and present, between humanity and the natural world.
Embracing the Imperfect
But the true magic of bespoke furniture creation lies not in the perfection of the final product, but rather in the imperfections that give each piece its unique character. As one of our artisans recently shared, “the frail beauty of hand-made lines versus machined perfection” is what truly brings these pieces to life.
In a world that often values efficiency and uniformity, we at Unfinished Furniture have chosen to embrace the beauty of the imperfect. We don’t strive for flawless, machine-like precision; instead, we celebrate the subtle variations, the unexpected quirks, and the gentle idiosyncrasies that make each piece a one-of-a-kind treasure.
“This isn’t necessarily a testament to skill but to the frail beauty of hand-made lines versus machined perfection. The long labor isn’t to impress but hopes to be a contemplative act of prayer in process and to invite and serve that same response in the viewer.”
It’s a philosophy that extends beyond the physical realm and into the very heart of our creative process. As we design and craft each piece, we’re not just problem-solving or chasing a predetermined vision; we’re engaging in a profound dialogue with the material, allowing the wood to guide us and shape our decisions.
The Spiritual Dimension of Bespoke Furniture
For many of us at Unfinished Furniture, this process of creating bespoke furniture isn’t just a profession – it’s a calling, a sacred collaboration with the divine. As one of our artisans eloquently expressed, “I can’t help but to note that the call to labor in the garden came before the curse of toil. I am certain that labor is about more than just earning my bread. There is something deeper there not just for the artist but for the ditch digger and the roofer the farmer and the nurse.”
In this view, the act of creation is imbued with a profound spiritual significance, a chance to engage with the very rhythms of life and to honor the intricate dance between decay and renewal. It’s a perspective that infuses our work with a sense of reverence and purpose, a deep-rooted conviction that every piece we craft is a reflection of the divine.
“What does it mean to be a steward of life? It is an unspoken question threaded through my days. Each winter we carry more lives through to the hope of spring. It is the nature of a farm and a family – to grow a response to a holy invitation. In our stewardship, we learn to leverage the outward death of winter to build the inner life.”
This spiritual dimension is perhaps most evident in the way we approach the sourcing and preparation of our materials. When we select the trees that will become our canvases, we do so with a deep reverence for their stories, their struggles, and their resilience. We honor the cycles of life and death, understanding that the very essence of the wood we work with is a testament to the ongoing struggle for survival.
The Challenge of Marketing Bespoke Furniture
Of course, with this deep spiritual connection to our craft comes a certain discomfort when it comes to the realities of marketing and selling our work. As one of our artisans confessed, “Marketing my work has always been precarious territory for me. At a fundamental level I am much more interested in making my work than trying to sell it. Philosophically and morally I struggle with the slippery slope of salesmanship and authenticity.”
The fear of “prostituting” the sacred nature of our work is a constant concern, as we navigate the often-treacherous waters of the modern marketplace. We’re keenly aware of the tendency towards “filtered authenticity” that plagues so much of the online world, and we’re determined not to succumb to the temptation of chasing likes and follows at the expense of our core values.
“It is hard to not feel like marketing breeds a certain level of dishonesty that we have decided to be ok with as a society. Usually my work is both deeply personal and I hope deeply spiritual. I struggle often with the feeling that I am prostituting both myself and the things of God when I set out to peddle these visual representations in the marketplace.”
And yet, we also recognize the importance of making our work accessible to the world, of sharing the stories and the spiritual essence of our creations with those who might find solace and inspiration in them. It’s a delicate balance, one that we’re constantly striving to strike as we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of modern marketing and sales.
The Unfinished Journey
As I step back and survey the workshop, I’m struck by the sense of unfinished-ness that permeates every corner. The pieces in progress, the experiments with new techniques, the ongoing dialogue with the wood – it’s all a testament to the fact that this journey of bespoke furniture creation is never truly complete.
“I do want to sell my work and provide an income for my family and finance future projects. It is a part of life and a part of growing – of being fruitful. It is part of work which is a divine invitation. I have a calling to make art and what I hope are beautiful objects and useful pieces of furniture. I have a calling to make that work accessible to the culture I am a part of.”
And that’s precisely what makes it so compelling, so endlessly fascinating. In a world that often values the pristine and the polished, we at Unfinished Furniture have chosen to embrace the beauty of the unfinished, the imperfect, the ever-evolving. It’s a journey that will never truly end, a dance that will continue to unfold and surprise us, even as we strive to share its magic with the world.
So, I invite you to step into our world, to explore the rhythmic symphony of bespoke furniture creation. Let the stories of the wood captivate you, let the imperfections enchant you, and let the spiritual dimension of our craft inspire you. Because in the end, the true artistry of this journey lies not in the final product, but in the process itself – a testament to the enduring power of human creativity, and the profound beauty that can emerge when we embrace the unfinished.
