I love mid-century design, and have based many of my furniture pieces on classic designs from this period, by designers like Franco Albini, George Nelson, Hans Wegner and others. I also love the work of Sam Maloof and George Nakashima, and have tried to combine their focus on organic form, figure and grain with the aesthetic of commercial mid-century designers. I use North American hardwoods, mostly harvested locally and sustainably. Most of my lumber comes from Johnson Creek Hardwoods, a sustainable hardwood business in Mt. Carroll, Illinois. I place the wood at the center of my designs. I carefully select boards for their figure and grain to best fit the design of a piece, but often, the furniture will also be designed around a particular board with striking figure. Much of my wood is from reclaimed urban trees. These trees are removed from urban areas for a variety of reasons (safety, age, construction, or landscaping), and would be destined for chipping, firewood, or landfill. Instead, they are reclaimed by small saw mills into useable lumber. The fabrics I use are also classic patterns from mid-century designers. Fabrics are mostly reclaimed from excess discarded by furniture manufacturers and diverted from the landfill. The finishes on my pieces are a hand-rubbed polyurethane varnish, for durability and to let the natural color of the wood come through. I will typically apply at least 6 coats, sanding between coats. The finish is then rubbed out, after which I apply a hand buffed wax topcoat.