I am the owner of Old Growth Woodworks and sole furniture maker and designer. An economist and attorney by training, I have never had formal education in woodworking or design. Like many of the great designers in wood before me – Sam Maloof, Wharton Esherick, Art Carpenter, to name a few – this lack of training has helped rather than hindered. It has allowed me to break with traditional rules.

Although without formal training, I grew up around wood and woodworking. I’d spend days with friends exploring the wilderness, I’d walk the forests with my father learning how to identify the trees and plants in the deciduous forests of the Midwest. My father is a woodworker by hobby, as is my grandfather. The sweet, woodsy smell of sawdust and a freshly cut board are very familiar. They remind me of childhood and I associate those smells with creation. I would sit and watch my grandpa make furniture for his home from his small basement shop, and sometimes help.

I devote much of my time to making furniture on commission and creating studio furniture. Read the OGW Philosophy and my Artist Statement for more information on why and how I create the furniture I do.