A Seattle Company's New Furniture Line Is Industrial-Chic To The Max

Kicking off a bold chapter, Seattle-based Mayer Designs Inc. (MDI) is bringing their attention to craft and detail to a new frontier: woodworking. Long admired for their custom metal finishing and fabrication, this year MDI opened an in-house woodshop alongside the launch of their furniture line, the MDI Store. “Opening a woodshop to complement our metalwork has been a years-long goal,” says Jessica Mayer, who co-founded MDI with partner Nicholas Mayer in 2007. Consisting of walnut and hot-rolled steel, each piece in the new collection represents the industrial-chic aesthetic the duo has been honing for years.

“We wanted to create furniture that had utility and purpose while being approachable,” Jessica says. “We are well-versed in crafting what we call ‘ jewelry for the home,’ but we wanted to explore the industrial, raw side of furniture making and create pieces that people can live around and use to the fullest.” The resultant flexible and functional line includes a rolling worktable with drawers and shelving, customizable shelving units featuring utility options for tools and rolls of paper, benches, and colorful swivel stools.

“We designed the pieces for creative, out-of-the-box environments like studios, workplaces, kitchens and gardens,” Jessica explains. In fact, her own process of designing an artist studio in her Washington home was the spark that led to the collection. “I was looking for furnishings for my space and was striking out, and the idea of making our own studio furniture excited Nich and I,” she says. “It’s a collection made for places where both creating and gathering happen.”