As a designer craftsman I see furniture making as an opportunity to explore the union of function and art. I want to create furniture that is a joy to live with, will last for many generations and grow in value. I draw my inspiration from nature as well as other woodworkers, architects, and period styles. I see furniture as an expression of our relationship to the natural world in the context of our home environment. My career in woodworking began in 1983 in Roseburg, Oregon, where I apprenticed in a small cabinet shop for three years. In 1987 I opened my own woodworking shop in Vermont. Over the years my work has progressed into studio furniture making, which has always been my dream. In addition to running a full time furniture studio in Windsor, Vermont I am also a part time woodworking instructor at Dartmouth College's Hopkins Center.

Mario Messina