R.A. Laufer

I was drawn to furniture design by the clean, spare lines of Shaker furniture, and the functional style of the Craftsman era. I like wood that doesn't hide behind heavy stains and factory lacquer. And I like furniture that does what it's supposed to do. A chair, for example, doesn't need to shout "I'm art", but it does need to look appealing and feel comfortable. To me, working wood is an absorbing challenge. It is taking heavy, rough lumber -- wood that might seem outwardly unappealing -- and opening that lumber up: Cutting, shaping, planing, sanding and smoothing until the wood is transformed into what I think is a beautiful and useful object, while still keeping the essence of the wood alive.