Return to Antiques of Tomorrow HOME

Return to Modern Furniture Artisans & Designs

I have been designing and creating finely crafted one-of-a-kind furniture for eight years now. Throughout that time, my work has evolved as my skills have grown. I plan on that evolution to continue for it is crucial to longevity.

My design aesthetic is an amalgam of many influences working at once. For furniture, function is paramount. Chairs are to be sat in, tables to be sat at, beds to provide pleasant dreams for generations. Balanced with function is form. It is important that each piece stands proud on its own unique qualities and, in some regard, is an expression of me as creator. The long history and deep tradition of the craft certainly cannot be ignored either. Integrating traditional joinery, sensible design concepts, and a modest respect for one's materials are all ways to convey that link to history. Those lessons, combined with innovation and inspiration, provide a solid foundation for creating new and distinct works of art.

Inspiration often comes from the work of some of the Masters. The furniture of George Nakashima and his use of uniquely sawn, live-edge wood; Sam Maloof's inclination to the curved surface; Frank Lloyd Wright's eye for balance and overhang; the Shaker tradition of hard work and simple lines have all, one way or another, left their marks on my work.

Most of my growth in the furniture trade has come from hands-on experience. In 1992, I received a BA from the University of Vermont as a studio art major, focusing in three-dimensional design. From there I stepped more or less directly into a wood shop in Burlington where I worked for 5 years as a custom designer and builder in a two-person shop. I now work out of my own studio where I continue my education and evolution through both the day-to-day running of a business and the endless possibilities of creation.

—Timothy Waite