About
Artist Statement , Bio & More
Artist Statement:
"Keep it looking simple, and deliberate". We all love it when something is beautiful, fits just right, and functions flawlessly. We take notice. With over three decades in my studio/shop I strive to achieve that end.
Designed to an aesthetic of clean lines with purposeful joinery my work invites a close look and touch. Each piece is built to meet three objectives: Purpose: it should seamlessly integrate into your life and function perfectly. Appearance: Pleasing to the eye, interesting, well balanced, and sensual to the touch. Integrity: with the use of precise mortise & tenon and other joinery each piece is built to high standards to withstand a lifetime of use. Finishes range from paint to oil and are project specific, all carefully applied and rubbed, where appropriate.
My work is focused in two areas, the first is furniture, covering a wide spectrum from stools to large conference tables. The second is entry doors (furniture on hinges), they are well insulated, technically sophisticated first impressions of your home or business.
It is a real pleasure to add limited additions of my designs to the commissioned bespoke pieces that have long been a mainstay of the shop. Enjoy- David
Personal snippet:
I work and live on the same rural property outside of Hancock, Michigan at the base of the Keweenaw peninsula. (I've been told my walking to work does not count as exercise). However, our rural setting does allow for many of our dinners to come from our land, a tasty and more deliberate way to live. It has also allowed for sled dogs- my wife's Alaskan huskies are now in retirement but in their prime they allowed us to fully embrace the Keweenaw winter on the runners of a sled, nothing like it! When the evening comes it's always a pleasure to have a session with friends picking tunes on the guitar and mandolin. A full life in Michigan's U.P.
Shop/Studio & Aesthetics:
Larsen Design is a design build studio with a little over 2,600 sqft. of dedicated, well equipped shop space, located outside of Hancock, Michigan on the Keweenaw peninsula. With over thirty years of experience I have narrowed my focus to my greatest interests: Furniture and Entry Doors.
Furniture should be as purposeful as it is graceful. The completed piece should be a delight to interact with; fine in its lines, tactilely engaging and ergonomic in use. Every angle, edge, curve, thickness, and joint speak to the purpose and grace of the piece. The finish may be oil, varnish, lacquer, shellac, or paint and is driven by the design and purpose. My designs often have a technical component or sophisticated joinery but always with a simple, graceful presentation, true to purpose. I accept work on a commissioned basis as well as offering some designs in limited editions.
Entry Doors are in fact well crafted furniture with a very specific purpose. My door designs were born from long experience in the harsh climate of the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. In thickness they range from a minimum of 2 1/4 inches to the more frequently used 3 inches. They are stable, insulated, well sealed and very solid. You will see a few examples in "commissioned work". Doors are built on a commission only basis as the details vary with each entry system. Lead time is often three months. You may wish to contact me early in the planning stages of your project to insure a timely delivery.