Custom furniture designers in Arizona are creating one-of-a-kind pieces that mix mediums and styles.
Peter Thomas Designs
Skillfully contrasting reclaimed wood with modern details, Peter Moosbrugger creates one-of-a-kind pieces from his Phoenix shop. “Our main business is custom one-offs for interior designers,” he says, “but we’ve started to expand our markets, building everything from conference tables to walnut tables for restaurants.” Among his collections are three new lines of furnishings: Beam, which includes tables made using 19th-century hand-hewn beams; Industrial, featuring etched metal along with reclaimed and new wood; and Parallel, comprised of solid American black walnut and polished metal. To keep all this going, he notes, “We just moved into our new 15,000-square-foot factory.” peterthomasdesigns.com
PHOTO COURTESY PETER THOMAS DESIGNS
Paul Rene Furniture
Paul Jeffrey has been a presence on Arizona’s design scene for nearly 20 years, and he’s poised to expand his reputation beyond the state. His early career had been as a car designer and he knew little about wood when he started producing furniture. “I bent it,” he recalls. “I didn’t know I couldn’t.” This outside-the-box approach, it turns out, launched his career. Now, with thriving businesses in custom furniture as well as cabinetry, he’s adding limited-edition furniture and casegoods to the mix. It’s fitting, then, that one of his first limited-edition pieces is the bentwood Araignee coffee table. Each of the 300 signed and numbered tables has slatted maple circles gracefully curved to become part of the tabletop. Also on limited offer: a new upholstered dining chair in a combination of cherry and wenge wood inspired by a lyre. paulrenefurniture.com
PHOTO: LAVIKKA PHOTOGRAPHY
Porter Barn Wood
A design, build and materials supply company, Porter Barn Wood is known for its range of offerings, from metalwork to concrete casting. But it’s the impressive range of reclaimed lumber and the quality pieces crafted from it that remain its legacy. A steel-based rolling desk with a farmhouse wood top, a sliding interior door and a custom mantelpiece are all made with uniquely grained and textured wood that is rich with character. This year, the company will continue its ventures into more modern designs, combining reclaimed wood with contemporary elements, such as its modern live-edge dining table with steel legs. porterbarnwood.com
