Denim Jeans, Wood Marquetry, Metal Bedframes

Paula Garbarino, Wood Marquetry (website)

Somerville, MA

Based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Paula Garbarino has been a woodworker for over 30 years, and a furniture maker for over 20. As one of the earliest women to train in carpentry at the North Bennet Street Industrial School in the late 1970s, Garbarino went on to work as a cabinetmaker and shop foreman, honing her craft in precision and efficiency.

In the mid-80s, Garbarino’s interest turned to furniture. She returned to North Bennet to attend their prestigious furniture making program, concentrating on the study and building of 17th through 19th century furniture.

Today, a full-time artisan in a one-person custom furniture making business, she continues to express her creativity in those styles, but also accommodates clients’ wishes for contemporary looks, if requested. Between projects, and when inspired, Garbarino also works on speculative pieces for exhibits.

Her work has been featured in Fine Woodworking magazine, Fine Woodworking Design Books, Woodwork Magazine, Home Furniture, Woodworker’s Journal and The Boston Globe. Garbarino has exhibited at the Fuller Craft Museum, Society for the Arts and Crafts, Wharton Esherick Museum, Concord Museum, Craft Boston, Paradise City Arts Festivals, Providence Fine Furnishings Show and AD20/21: Art and Design of the 20th and 21st Century.

Stan Fraser, Bespoke Jeans (website)

Straight Stitch & Co., Charlotte, NC

Stan Fraser hails from the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, where his Caribbean parents emphasized education over his growing attraction to fashion design. Little did they know his fashion education was already forming as he watched his mother and uncle sew samples for several of New York’s fashion houses.

As he honed his skills and began developing his own, unique style, he felt a need in the industry for high-quality, premium Japanese selvedge denim. And so began his Anarke brand.

When Fraser designs in his Charlotte, North Carolina-based company, he goes straight to the fabric, letting it feed his creative vision. He uses no sketches. He works with no rules, no limits, no regulations.

Read Stan’s “Meet the Artisan” Blog

Chris Cardy, Metal Bedframes (website)

Delia, Portland, OR

From ultra-modern platform beds to delicate, organic-style wine racks and tables to whimsical garden ornaments, Chris Cardy specializes in handmade, custom furniture made from steel and a variety of complementary materials.

He works with just one assistant in Delia, his Portland, Oregon studio, creating one-of-a-kind pieces that are filled with personality, for his showroom and commissioned orders.

Like many makers, Cardy loves to share the joy he feels when creating his unique products. So he offers regular welding classes open to groups and individuals.