DESIGN PROCESS

“Cutting logs entails a great responsibility, for we are dealing with fallen majesty. There are no formulas, no guidelines, but only experience, instinct, and contact with the divine.”

– George Nakashima

Slide WOOD SELECTION Much of our work is based on the fundamental beauty of nature expressed in lumber from great trees which have reached or passed their prime, almost all of which have been custom sawn by either George or Mira. Slide WALNUT AND CHERRY Walnut is among the finest of furniture woods, and one we use with the greatest frequency. Cherry and fruitwoods produce material of great quality; their graining is intricate and exciting. Slide BURLS Burls are rare and laborious finds that we hold in high esteem. Sometimes they grow in a single clump; other times they overtake the entirety of a tree. Thought perhaps to be the markings of a tree mending its wounds, moments of burls seem to have a joy and exuberance that greatly enhance the tree's charm.

DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP

Our team of craftspeople is keenly aware of the practice that George Nakashima established, one in which design and craftmanship are governed by personal connection, active listening, and close collaboration.

We seek to build on that practice truthfully and honestly under Mira’s direction.

Slide ADDRESSING YOUR INQUIRY Much of our work is based on the fundamental beauty of nature expressed in lumber from great trees which have reached or passed their prime, almost all of which have been custom sawn by either George or Mira. Slide MATURING A CONCEPT Once we've arrived at an initial concept, we will proceed to select up to three options from our stack of custom sawn boards for your review. This step requires ample preparations and study, and we deliberately cultivate opportunities for connection between our clients and the complex, varied wood that will become a finished piece.

DESIGN PROCESS

“As my father had described, wood should not be regarded as an inanimate object to be used only as a material, but another form of life which, with a hand-rubbed oil finish, ‘lives and breathes’.”

– Mira Nakashima

WHAT MAKES A NAKASHIMA

Slide SKETCHING BY HAND Much of our work is based on the fundamental beauty of nature expressed in lumber from great trees which have reached or passed their prime, almost all of which have been custom sawn by either George or Mira. Slide SELECTING WOOD TOGETHER The choice of wood for each piece we craft is the result of a process that is deeply felt and collaborative in nature. Just as George's practice was structured around in-person consultation, we invite all our clients to open themselves to the joys and idiosyncrasies of finding the right board while meeting face-to-face with Mira and her design team.
We carefully select options that feel suitable in size, shape, and characteristics for the job at hand, and seek to facilitate an intuitive connection between you and the wood that will guide our studio in the development of the piece. Slide OUR APPROACH TO SAWING Before George's time, most sawyers would cutt off a tree's irregularities and quarter-saw lumber for maximum stability. But George saw beauty in the natural forms and sought to preserve them in the milling process. He often insisted on going to the sawmill and personally overseeing the milling of each log, a process we continue to follow to this day.