#HTE

Studying Boatbuilding Gives You an Edge as a Furniture Designer

We’ve seen time and again that shipwrights comprehend materials and techniques on a level well beyond your average furniture design grad. From Tom Sullivan’s incredible “The Accidental Designer” story to Louis Sauzedde’s unparalleled wisdom to Brendan Ravenhill’s transition from boatbuilding to industrial design, it is clear that being trained to construct seaworthy craft out of wood fills your brains and hands with a unique level of knowledge.

Add design talent to that skillset and you’ve got a formidable combination, one that ought give you a leg up on your furniture design competition. Here’s the latest example: Furniture design prodigy and shipwrighting-trained Nathie Katzoff, who at the tender age of 28 already runs his own company, Seattle-based NK Woodworking | Design, and has a host of design awards under his belt.

What I found most interesting is that Katzoff is interested in reinstating the old-world master craftsperson and apprenticeship system we touched on here. As he states in the company’s mission statement,

A century ago craftsmanship was highly valued. Master woodworkers built staircases that were the centerpiece of homes, crafted furniture that were works of art, and used time-honored joinery techniques to hand shape the wood. But over time our society has become a throwaway culture where stairs are put together like Legos out of cheap stock parts from China and furniture is mass-produced and not expected to last.

The intention of NKW is to do the exact opposite. We are a team of passionate woodworkers and craftsman, all pulling together to create truly spectacular work. We create functional art that will last generations.

Check out Katzoff & co.’s work here.