Roman Thomas is a fully vertical New York City furniture maker whose workrooms shape the character of its designs. The company makes furniture by hand from natural materials using time-honored techniques, creating familiar forms with an altered sense of scale for people who value the craft behind handmade pieces.
Classic SofaSince 1982, Classic Sofa has handcrafted bespoke, benchmade furniture in New York City, now producing each piece with its in-house team at a Bronx factory. The company preserves old-world construction methods while tailoring dimensions, comfort and finishes for residential, trade and commercial interiors. Its hardwood frames are guaranteed for life, and longtime artisans—including craftspeople who have been with Classic Sofa since the original shop—continue passing their methods to apprentices.BRONX, NY
Bowen Liu StudioIn New York City, Bowen Liu Studio creates artistic furniture, lighting, and objects that treat material research as part of the design, including furniture-scale cast-glass work. The studio makes 90% of its wood collections by hand in its New York studio, with most pieces made to order and customizable in materials, finishes, and size. Its Helle collection, inspired by New York’s Hell Gate Bridge, won both ICFF Editors Awards and NYCxDESIGN Awards after its 2021 release.BROOKLYN, NY
Canterbury Woods CreationsAfter leaving a 12-year technology career, founder Francis Twomey turned an oak bed made for his new upstate New York home into Canterbury Woods Creations, a woodworking studio making handmade furniture and custom commissions. Working primarily with domestic hardwoods, Twomey builds one-of-a-kind pieces around a client’s dimensions, space, and ideas rather than producing for quantity. The family’s J&J Twomey Collection adds handmade boards and trays crafted by his parents, with a tree planted and a portion of proceeds donated to the American Heart Association for each board or tray sold.VESTAL, NY
Sawkille CoFounded by owners Jonah Meyer and Tara DeLisio, Sawkille Co. designs and makes distinctive furniture in Kingston, New York. Meyer, a RISD-trained artist with roots in painting and sculpture, developed the company’s seating vocabulary from early twig-and-root chairs into crisp contemporary forms, while DeLisio guides its creative direction and business. Their work draws on historic traditions alongside experimental and personal influences, with hand-chased silver details adding an especially unusual dimension to selected pieces.RHINEBECK, NY