Who we are

Our Founder: Carlos Taylor-Swanson

From yacht interiors to heirloom furniture, Carlos Taylor-Swanson has spent the last 40 years shaping wood into story.

Raised in a family of educators, artists, and amateur builders, Taylor-Swanson's hands found their purpose early, crafting a backyard clubhouse at 12 years old that got big enough to attract city planners. That surprise moment would become his first lesson in design intent and practical limits.

His professional journey began in a Chicago-area picture framing shop and wove through the art world, rough carpentry, and eventually, the precision-demanding world of yacht interiors. Ten formative years in Anacortes and Tacoma boatyards immersed him in a culture of uncompromising quality, building interiors for vessels up to 240 feet. In that space, where even the unseen must be flawless, his standards were forged.

In 2006, seeing a gap in the market for thoughtful, custom furniture and cabinetry in the Pacific Northwest, Taylor-Swanson founded Madera. His aim was simple, but rare: to create a design-build studio that brings architectural rigor and personal meaning to every piece.

Today, Madera Furniture Company is trusted by homeowners, designers, and architects alike for its clarity of craft, material fluency, and deep respect for the spaces we inhabit. Whether it’s a singular heirloom or a full interior suite, Madera builds work that feels inevitable, because it belongs.