At bnf studio, Ben Newman and Mary Numair have ample room for playfulness. The pair design and build sculptural chairs, benches, mirrors and tables from hardwood, often rendered in bold color. Pieces have a lightness and softness to them, with upholstered cushions and rounded corners. “I wanted to bring in more irreverence and play,” Numair says. It’s a contrast from the work they do while helming Ben Newman Furniture, where the duo focuses on highly crafted, client-driven pieces rooted in traditional design. “The attention to detail and material integrity has always been central to our work,” Newman explains. “But over time, we felt the pull to create something more self-directed. Bnf studio grew out of that shift. It’s an outlet for our own design language and sculptural ideas.”
The pair co-own and co-run both businesses, and everything is built in-house at their studio in Avondale using a blend of traditional and modern tools. Their work with bnf studio, though, is more open and allows them to take more risks. For example, though fond of natural finishes, they leaned into bold color choices for their latest collection, mt. curve. Whether painted or not, the goal is always the same: to highlight form and create furnishings that invite interaction. “I want people to see one of our chairs and feel excited to sit in it,” Numair says. Adds Newman, “We’re letting the shapes, material and colors push us further than we used to.”
