LiViNG - Georgia Straight

FURNITURE BY DESIGN
FROM THEIR EAST SIDE STUDIOS, FOUR NEW TALENTS ARE PUTTING FRESH
SPINS ON WOOD. LOOK FOR THEM NEXT MONTH ON THE CULTURE CRAWL
BY JANET SMITH / TREVOR BRADY PHOTO
KURT DEXEL >>
DEXEL MODERN CRAFTED FURNITURE
WWW.DEXELMODERN.COM
Kurt Dexel comes to furniture design from
the world of engineering, or, as he puts it,
“Woodworking was a hobby—a hobby
gone bad, or good, I guess.” Just over
two years ago he turned to his passion full-time,
launching a line of bold one-of-a-kind and custom
pieces that celebrate refi ned form as much as the
beauty of wood. Dexel’s biggest infl uences are
midcentury and Danish modern, with a little spaceage
thrown in: “Somebody said to me the other
day that I must have liked The Jetsons.…With my
work, you get this really natural material with this
modern look.” Dexel’s engineering background
seems to play out most in his process: he executes
sketch after sketch, prototype after prototype, until
he gets the design right. Signature pieces include
the Boomerang chair and ottoman (shown here),
a marvel of sharp lines and angles, crafted from
black walnut, eastern maple, and leather (about
$3,800); and the Parallam table, two tiers of salvaged
Parallam construction wood that seem to
fl oat over a smaller oak support underneath (about
$1,500). Dexel’s work also sells at Granville Island’s
Wood Co-op (1592 Johnston Street).
| FALL 2008 | | GEORGIA STRAIGHT LIVING |
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