Pride, Passion, and Play: Custom Furniture by Mark Newman Design in Wood

What best characterizes the experience of commissioning a custom project?  What makes it unique among the many offerings in the new experience based economy? One hallmark of the custom experience may be the pride felt by both the artisan and the customer in the making of a custom piece as well as in the finished work itself.  That’s a reward that Mark Newman and his team of craftsmen at Mark Newman Design in Wood strive to create.

If you watch the slide show on his website homepage, you’ll see beautiful examples of his architectural woodworking and custom furniture, like the Sam Maloof inspired T bone chair, which he first built after taking a workshop with the master.  You’ll also see a brief video clip in which Mark explains: “The best thing about the work that we do is that when we’re done, we can stand back and be proud of it, and so can you.”

Your own T Bone Chair by Mark Newman Design in Wood at CustomMade.com will be hand made and finished and can serve as either a dining or accent chair.

What can Mark make for you? Let’s take a look at the other furniture pieces in Mark’s CustomMade portfolio.

Does the prospect of working online or at a distance from custom furniture makers make you hesitant to reach out to artisans whose work and style you admire but haven’t met face to face?  On his blog, Mark shares the story behind the creation of this lovely jewelry armoire.

This fun little piece, made mostly by [Mark Newman Design in Wood team members] Ron and Ben, is of Birdseye Maple, Bubinga, and Ebony.  The drawers are lined with black felt and have movable partitions for jewelry.  Amazingly, the client does not live locally, and we never met till they picked up the piece.  We traded sketches, photos of their space, and material samples by email, and worked it all out on the phone.  It’s cool to be able do business like that and finish the project with a happy customer.

Whether by email or just simple phone calls, Mark will find a way to communicate and make a connection with you.

Your Jewelry Armoire by Mark Newman Design in Wood at CustomMade.com will be custom designed to fit your needs and space.

At CustomMade, we love to hear the stories behind the pieces.  The Queen En table has a point to make and makes it en pointe.  Mark writes:

For me this piece breaks new ground. It’s not purely furniture, but it’s not quite sculpture.  It’s not an antique reproduction, but you might think so if you don’t look closely enough.  It is intended to be sexy, humorous, and thoroughly modern in its celebration of dance, but the form is rooted in furniture tradition (Queen Anne with a twist) and the finish is copied from an original Chippendale breakfront in the Winterthur Museum.  I love it when the casual observer perceives it as a traditional piece, and then suddenly discovers its real form.

This showstopper is made from Honduran mahogany and features a 15-layer finish of alternating stain and clear lacquer coats and 24k gold leaf on the tabletop and shoes.  Queen En was accepted into the American Juried Art Salon’s 2010 Spring/Summer show and won a Blue Ribbon at the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts.

The Queen En Table by Mark Newman Design in Wood at CustomMade.com. This up tiptoe ballerina (or something similar) could belong to you.

What is the appeal of custom?  Here is an invitation from Mark:

Imagine a space where everything makes sense.  A bedroom that you love to be in.  A dining table your guests can’t keep from running their fingers over.  Your artwork and your technology coexisting in perfect harmony.  Bring me your dreams and I will envision that space for you.  I just want to know … what’s your passion?

If you’re ready for furniture that will move you (and appears on the verge of moving itself) and match your vision and fit your home perfectly, get in touch with Mark Newman Design in Wood and embark on the custom experience.