Madera Fine Decorative Furnishings

How Custom Furniture in Seattle Can Complete Your Home Décor

furniture_store_seattle — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 01:41:23 +0000

Have you been shopping around for new furniture for your home but finding it difficult to find unique, high quality pieces? Many stores offer the same designs and similar fabrics for the furniture items that they sell, making it highly likely that friends or family are buying the same items. If you want your home to stand out and are finding it overly challenging to find things that you like, it may be time to consider custom furniture in Seattle.

Custom furniture designed and manufactured by artisians and experienced furniture makers can add style and class to any home. Since the pieces are original and designed just for you, you won’t have to worry about seeing the same items in other people’s homes.

Custom cabinets in Seattle are a wonderful way to complete your dream kitchen. Classic designs using modern lines and fine woods can add warmth and depth to any kitchen design. Whether you are upgrading an existing kitchen, or are starting fresh in a newly constructed home, custom cabinetry allows you to get the exact look that you are striving for, without having to sacrifice style or quality.

Custom built tables, dressers and bookshelves throughout the home also provide a touch of sophistication. When designed by professionals who specialize in home furnishings, these pieces are some of the finest and longest lasting types of furniture available today.

Furniture that has been custom designed to meet your needs can pull the look for your home together instantly. When you find a company that you trust, ask them to provide pieces for every room in your house. This is the best way to incorporate a consistent style and look throughout your home.

Whether you are an interior designer putting together a look for a client, or a homeowner trying to put together a new home, custom furniture provides endless opportunities for designs, materials and styles. By carefully selecting a design company that provides high quality furniture made with the best materials available, you will be happy to show off your new custom pieces to everyone who walks through your front door.

MAE’s “Don’t Look” show…take a peep at some artisanal furnishings

Carlos — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:34:09 +0000

Madera Architectural Elements, our artisan collective, collaborated on a racy installation this month entitled “Don’t Look!” The idea was to create custom furnishings around a single theme and in this case it became a theatric boudoir. Why a boudoir? Mostly it was inspired by “Entrance Denied,” the scheduled show in Mineral, the gallery next door to our planned location for the installation. With a fair bit of collaboration from Wade Martin of Axis Cut Parts, I designed and built an interesting platform bed from solid mahogany and sapele. The textures in the headboard and sides mimic the movement of flickering flames or undulating fabrics. Here’s a review on the shows. Pictures will follow soon!

Going Green: Where to Find Sustainable Furniture in Seattle

furniture_store_seattle — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 01:39:47 +0000

Many homeowners think that they are doing enough by recycling and buying local, organic foods. In reality, there are many areas of our homes that can benefit from “going green”. When looking for new furniture for your home, don’t forget that some furniture stores in Seattle offer designs that are made with sustainable products, adding beauty and comfort to your home in a an environmentally conscious way.

Purchasing sustainable furniture in Seattle means selecting a company who creates long lasting pieces from wood that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC, a non-profit organization that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests. Buying utilizing these high quality wood products in their designs, furniture makers are supporting sustainable products that are produced in an environmentally sound fashion. Not only is this is a win for the business owner, but it’s also a win for homeowners who select the high quality pieces for their homes.

Companies that specialize in building sustainable pieces are also concerned with making pieces that will last for generations to come and that won’t just end up in landfill after a year or two. By purchasing products that are designed with these considerations in mind, homeowners get pieces that they can enjoy guilt-free for years to come.

Sustainable furniture in Seattle is an important step in making homes as green as possible, without sacrificing style or design. By utilizing wood products approved by the FSC, furniture designers can create high quality pieces that are designed to last, without taking away from vital resources. This is done by using fast-growing and renewable types of wood and avoiding species that are endangered, like new Teak or Mahogany. Furniture companies that specialize in sustainable designs should also avoid using wood from areas that are known for supporting illegal logging processes. Areas well-known for illegal logging include Indonesia, the Philippines and South America.

Before buying new furniture for your home, consider where it’s coming from. Before you buy new, make sure that the company utilizes responsible processes and sustainable resources, and you’ll get long lasting, beautiful pieces that you can enjoy for a long time to come.

Doing our part…more than custom furniture

Carlos — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:34:48 +0000

Earlier this month we had the opportunity to help out Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium and their annual fundraiser, Zoobilee, by building 9 platforms for performers to dance upon. With plywood donated by Gray Lumber we split the tasks around the shop and nearly everyone played a part in making BCRA‘s design come to life. Then we took on the back drop screens with a ton of help from Wade at Axis Cut Parts. Thanks to his programming skills and generosity the curvaceous sails went together flawlessly. BCRA put together a team of volunteers to paint the boxes and wrap the frames for the background. It was doubtless a group effort and it was amazing how we all came together for the cause: supporting an important educational opportunity in our community.

Intern turns into Apprentice!

Carlos — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:28:16 +0000

Back in January when Ryan was interning with us through the SOTA J-Term Internships he had expressed his desire to learn more about custom woodworking. So we tossed around the idea of an apprenticeship after his graduation. In between Ryan completed his senior community project here in the shop – an out door bench made from a red oak tree I had salvaged from city utility work. In June he started his apprenticeship! Welcome Ryan.

Thanks to our interns!

Carlos — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:49:52 +0000

Earlier this year we were fortunate enough to have two awesome high school seniors from SOTA intern with us. Kenzie Ballew primarily worked at updating our various electronic media and Ryan Holbrook worked in the shop making a few display items and shelving. The highlight for both of them was an installation of scrap wood strips they made for our showroom. In a creative collaboration they successfully achieved exactly what I had set them on course to do. So here’s an overdue thank you and congrats to Ryan and Kenzie!Incidentally, Ryan is now apprenticing with us in the shop!

Elroy’s Chair going to benefit for NW Furniture bank!

Carlos — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:44:58 +0000

The Northwest Furniture Bank is hosting a fund raising auction on March 4 at the Tacoma Art Museum. Dubbed the Chair Affair, the event will be an auction of artfully embellished chairs from over 50 regional artists. Most participants started with old and worn out chairs and creatively decorated them in interesting and fun themes.

I, on the other hand, built a chair form some scraps laying around the shop. “Elroy’s Chair” is made from purple heart and a combination of poplar plywood and aircraft plywood.

Elroy’s Chair 1

MAE opening soiree, in a word, WOW!

Carlos — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:08:27 +0000

After months of planning and anticipation the Grand Opening celebration for Madera Architectural Elements was a fabulous success! The turnout was great with well over 100 attendees. Thanks to everyone who came to show their support!

The MAE showroom is now open. Hours are usually Monday through Friday 11:00 – 3:00 and by appointment. Check out the MAE website for information on any of the participating artisans. If there is a particular artisan that you would like to meet, feel free to contact them to set up a personal showing.

Madera Architectural Elements coming Nov. 22!!!

Carlos — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:40:23 +0000

For the past 3 years, Gallery Madera has showcased an amazing variety of original art from Tacoma’s creative. Twenty select shows have featured paintings, ceramics, glass, metal sculpture, contemporary furniture and more from well over 100 local and regional artists.Building upon this history as a popular venue for originality, the gallery will shift its focus this November from the work of artists to the creations of artisans and become the showroom for Madera Architectural Elements (MAE).MAE is a collective of Pacific Northwest artisans all of whom design and fabricate exceptional building components and furnishings. Members include: Ixia Tile – custom ceramic tile, Shape 3 – metalwork, Mindy Barker – mural and faux texture painting, Pacific Rim Tapestries – textile weaving, Turner Furniture – upholstery, Lynn DiNino – anything cement, Burnett Forge – artist blacksmith, Jennevieve Schlemmer - architectural mosaics, AlterEco Countertops – custom countertops, Steve Lawler – re-Furniture, Diane Roberts – stained/fused glass, Christopher Hoppin - green walls and Lucite lighting fixtures and, of course, Madera Fine Decorative Furnishings – furniture and cabinetry.

What we’re creating is one-stop-shopping location for all of your architectural element needs. Whether you’re a homeowner, designer or builder you’ll be able to visit MAE and see what is new and exciting in contemporary furnishings and artisan-made building components.

Join us Sunday November 22 from Noon – 5:00 for a gala opening celebration for Madera Architectural Elements.

Our portfolio – Creative Interior Solutions – now available on Blurb.com

Carlos — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:56:54 +0000

We recently published a portfolio of completed furniture and casework projects. Entitled Creative Interior Solutions the book showcases a selection of Madera’s work ranging from small end tables to entire office suites. You can preview the book here – and even order your own copy, too!