Founded 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.
John Strauss Furniture DesignIn an Ohio workshop, sculptor-trained John Strauss and interior designer Carisa Marie create limited-edition furniture, lighting and sculptural objects for designers, architects and meaningful spaces. Strauss brings more than 30 years of furniture-making experience, while Marie adds two decades in interior design; together, they combine modern technology with traditional joinery and hand finishing. Their work is made in the United States through an atelier of regional craftspeople, including wood specialists in the nearby Amish community, and is individually branded and dated.CANTON, OH
H.CO HandmadeFrom a five-acre Hudson Valley homestead, Max and Jordan Hoener run H.CO Handmade, a family-owned design-and-build firm making handcrafted furniture from locally sourced wood. The Millbrook studio combines clean modern design with Japanese woodworking and traditional joinery, often turning storm-fallen or client-saved trees into “Full Circle” pieces. H.CO was named Best Furniture Maker in the Hudson Valley by the 2025 Chronogram Readers’ Choice Awards.
Waxwing StudioAt Industry City in Brooklyn, Sergey Levchin’s Waxwing Studio makes fine, freestanding furniture designed around the individual client. What began as Levchin’s personal pastime grew into a side gig and then his main work a little over a decade ago, with commissions developed collaboratively from sketches, reference images, or practical requirements. The studio’s work ranges from sculptural standalone pieces to highly tailored furniture that solves the particular needs of a room.BROOKLYN, NY
Pennisi Fine FurnitureFrom his full-size workshop just outside Syracuse, John A. Pennisi Jr. designs and builds made-to-order modern furniture by hand. He began his custom-furniture career in 2004 and completed the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s nine-month comprehensive course in 2010, bringing clients into a careful process where practical needs shape each original piece. His work has appeared in regional exhibitions and galleries, including the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s Messler Gallery.MARCELLUS, NY