Adam Bentz Furniture

Functional Art Based in Seattle, Washington My work is inspired by shapes, textures, and colors in the natural world, as well as many forms of modern architecture. In designing original contemporary pieces, I enjoy the challenge of absolute precision, and am fascinated by the intersection of contrasts. I love experimenting with positive and negative spaces, combining wood and metals in unique and innovative ways. Growing up on Bainbridge Island, a tiny dot in the Pacific Northwest. I fell in love with the island's forests: cedar, Douglas fir, madrone, big-leaf maple. As a teenager I got my first experience working with wood after school and on weekends as an apprentice to local craftsman Thomas Hume. From an early age, I knew I'd found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Immediately after high school, I attended the Cabinetmaking and Fine Woodworking program at Seattle Central College's Wood Technology Center, fondly remembered as Gompers. After I graduated, I spent 10 years working for Stewart Wurtz, one of the Northwest's true masters of furniture making and design. When I'm selecting wood for a project, I always wonder where its journey began. As I build, I strive to pay respect to the once-living tree which provides me with an opportunity to create something beautiful. Over time, I've developed an ability to read and understand the possibilities inherent in the particular species of wood I'm working with. This understanding helps me design and fabricate furniture that is not only original, but will stand the test of time. Designing furniture is a creative process--and creativity can be mischievous. My best ideas always seem to come when I'm not looking for them. When inspiration hits, I begin with hand-drawn sketches, visualizing how the piece will look and building it in my mind. I then bring the idea to life in a final drawing, and for certain pieces in a full-scale mock-up to ensure consistency. I consciously balance color, grain pattern, texture, materials, joinery, finish, strength, and durability. The end result is beautiful, handcrafted furniture, designed and built to be enjoyed for generations to come.