I was interviewed by Jane Lindholm on VPR, for her show Vermont Edition last Wednesday.  The topic of the show was Vermont Furniture And Woodworking, and included a discussion with Jean Burks from the Shelburne Museum, in Shelburne, Vermont, about their new show of Vermont furniture to 1850.  Here’s the text from the article on the VPR website:

Vermont Furniture And Woodworking
By JANE LINDHOLM & SAM GALE ROSEN • JUL 29, 2015

In 1839, Bennington cabinet-maker Hastings Kendrick placed an advertisement in the Vermont Gazette. His tagline? “Rich and tasty furniture.” The Shelburne Museum used that phrase as the title for their big new exhibit: “Rich and Tasty: Vermont Furniture to 1850.”

The exhibit’s curator, Shelburne Museum curator emerita Jean Burks joins us to talk about the varied and sophisticated world of Vermont furniture making in the nineteenth century. We’re also joined by award-winning woodworker and furniture-maker David Hurwitz of Randolph, 2013’s Vermont woodworker of the year.

From the VPR website

www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

Unique, Handcrafted Woodwork and Design

Designed and made in Vermont

Here’s a new custom contemporary hall table in walnut and curly Vermont sugar maple that I shipped to a customer in San Francisco.  It’s based on a larger console table with drawers, in curly cherry and ash that I had designed and made previously.  Mortice and tenon construction; hand rubbed Danish oil and poly varnish finish.  Each of the legs on this piece were hand shaped with a draw knife and a spoke shave.  32″ high x 48″ wide x 12″ deep.  This table is within size limits to ship via Fedex Ground.  I can also make this table in other sizes, and in other woods by request.  Please contact me for more info or to discuss a custom project you may have in mind.

Walnut and Curly Vermont Sugar Maple Hall Table, 32″ h x 48″ w x 12″ d.
Copyright 1997 and 2014, David Hurwitz. All rights reserved.

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And here’s another version of the table, with ash legs and drawer fronts, curly cherry table top, cherry dovetailed drawers, and natural stone drawer pulls:

Curly Cherry and Ash Console Table, 35″ h x 49″ w x 16″ d.
Copyright 1997, David Hurwitz. All rights reserved.

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Curly cherry table top, cherry dovetailed drawers, ash drawer fronts, stone drawer pulls.—

To view my full portfolio, please visit my website:

www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

Handmade wood furniture designed and made in Vermont

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(Note: my website can only be viewed from a laptop or desktop computer at this time.  If you try to access it from a mobile device or tablet, it will take you to a default mobile site, which does not have my complete portfolio of work)

Penofin Verde is an Earth friendly wood finish made in California from 100% sustainably produced natural oil from the pod of the Brazillian rosewood tree.  It’s a petroleum free oil finish with no heavy metal compounds, no odor, and no offensive fumes.  It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications.  I tried it on an outdoor bench in carved white oak, that I made for the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont.  I also tried it recently on a birdhouse with carved cherry roof, which I made for a show at the Wharton Esherick Museum.  I was very pleased with this finish.  It’s very easy to work with, has no smell or nasty solvents to worry about, and it brought out the full warmth, depth and richness of color in the wood.

The folks at the Penofin headquarters in California have added me to their Partner Program, and have added a page to their website featuring my work.  They have also featured my work on their facebook and twitter pages.  If you’re looking for an environmentally sustainable furniture piece in sustainably harvested wood with a Penofin Verde finish, give me a call and let’s talk.

Outdoor bench featured on Penofin facebook page

Here’s some photos of the outdoor bench and the birdhouse:

Outdoor Bench in carved white oak with Penofin Verde finish

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Solar Birdhouse – carved cherry roof finished with Penofin Verde, lexan bubble skylight

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www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

Furniture and accessories made with sustainable wood and finishes

Designed and made in Vermont

I shipped a new custom modern wall mirror in carved walnut to a customer a couple weeks ago, and she left me a nice review on Houzz!  Thanks Barbara!

The Walnut Taffy Mirror was a custom size, 24″ high x 18″ wide x 2″ deep.

To see all of my mirror designs, please visit the Mirrors section of my website (accessible from a laptop or desktop computer, but not mobile devices).  Interested in a mirror in a custom size, custom wood or custom color?  Or perhaps a totally new and one of a kind mirror design?  Contact me here and let’s talk.

www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

Unique Handcrafted Woodwork and Design

Designed and made in Vermont

Frog Hollow Vermont State Craft Center in Burlington, Vermont has posted a new video about me and my work.  Many thanks to Rob Hunter, Executive Director of Frog Hollow.  In addition to his many talents running Frog Hollow, Rob is also a talented video filmmaker and producer.  Rob made several trips to my shop over a period of a few weeks, and filmed many hours of me working on a custom hall table, and filmed an interview.  He then edited and produced a really nicely done video.  Thanks Rob!!!!

Here’s the video, below.  If you’re heading to Burlington, stop by Frog Hollow Gallery at 85 Church St.  The gallery sells fine craft and art by artists from all over Vermont; they have a few of my pieces there for sale.

To see my full portfolio of work, please visit my website from a laptop or desktop computer:

www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

(if you visit it from a mobile device, it will send you to a mobile site which does not yet contain my full portfolio of work)

Custom, contemporary studio furniture designed and made in Vermont

Great news: Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed a new law last month called the Toxic-Free Families Act, and he signed it on a table I made!  The new law is one of the nation’s strongest chemical reform policies, and mandates removal or labeling of dangerous toxic chemicals in consumer products – often children’s products – sold in Vermont.

The signing of the law took place at the Burlington, Vermont headquarters of Seventh Generation, makers of eco-friendly cleaning products.  In 2008 I made ten pieces for their expanded headquarters (a LEED Gold certified building), and the table now sits in their reception area.  It is based on my carved cherry Wine Cabinet design, with a similar carved front panel.  Vermont sculptor Kerry O. Furlani carved a leaf in Vermont green slate for the table, which I inlaid into the top.  I made each of the ten pieces out of FSC certified sustainably harvested wood, a requirement for the project.

It is an honor to know that Governor Shumlin chose to sign this new law on my table, and so great to know that he did it on a table that was made right here in Vermont, from sustainable wood with a toxic-free finish.  Way to go Gov!!!   And most importantly, thank you for doing the right thing to help protect the health and safety of the people of Vermont with this new law!

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signs the Toxics Free Act on a handcrafted table by David Hurwitz in collaboration with sculptor Kerry O. Furlani. Photo credit: Seventh Generation

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signs Toxics Reform Bill in Burlington. Photo credit: Seventh Generation.

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Here’s some photos from the process of making the table:

Carved FSC certified sustainable cherry. Copyright 2008 David Hurwitz. All rights reserved.

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Kerry’s drawing for the carved slate leaf. Copyright 2008, Kerry O. Furlani. All rights reserved.

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Hand carved Vermont green slate inlaid into cherry table top.

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To view my full portfolio, please visit my website:

www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

Sustainable wood studio furniture designed and made in Vermont

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(Note: my website can only be viewed from a laptop or desktop computer at this time.  If you try to access it from a mobile device or tablet, it will take you to a default mobile site, which does not have my complete portfolio of work)

Here’s a recent custom wall mirror I made in carved and painted hard maple.  It is 38″ x 38″ x 2″ deep.  The maple is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified sustainably harvested Vermont grown sugar maple.  The paint is iridescent silver.  The custom size and the combination of the silver with natural maple was a request by the customer, who lives in North Carolina.  I really like this square design, and plan to make more of them.  I also really like the silver with the maple.  It has a high-style feel, but softened by the natural wood grain.

Large Maple-Silver Taffy Mirror, carved and painted Vermont sugar maple.
Copyright 2013, David Hurwitz. All rights reserved.
Photo by Jack Rowell

Wall mirror with Carved Cherry and Curly Maple Console Table – display at a furniture show. Copyright 2013, David Hurwitz. All rights reserved.

Interested in a handmade custom wall mirror?  I am open to any custom size, shape, type of wood or color combination.  Unlike those cheap, poorly made, mass-produced wall mirrors at furniture stores, which are made out of MDF fiber board (which contains formaldehyde), cast resin, plastic, and sometimes illegally logged endangered woods, I make my wall mirrors from the highest quality North American hardwoods, with mitered joinery reinforced with solid wood splines of the same wood species as the frame.  I hand apply my finishes, building up multiple coats.  I also use 1/4″ thick mirror glass, to prevent distortion that sometimes occurs with thinner glass, and I include heavy duty mounting hardware to hang them on the wall.  I am meticulous in making my mirrors, and build and carve them to museum quality standards.  To see all of my mirror designs, please visit the mirrors page on my website.

www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

Contemporary, modern wall mirrors, designed and handmade in Vermont

Seven Days, a great Vermont independent weekly newspaper out of Burlington, posted an article on their blog about the Vermont Woodworker of the Year Award I received last month.  Thanks to author Janelle Roberge for her great comment about my work:

“The Randolph [Vermont] artisan turns straight wood into amazingly sensuous pieces, from utensils to dining room tables. You’d think there might be alchemy involved and not just woodworking tools.”

To see more of that alchemy, check out my full portfolio at www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

(Note: my website can only be viewed from a flash-enabled laptop or desktop computer.  If you try to access it from a mobile device, you will be redirected to a mobile site, which does not have my full portfolio and details about my work at this time).

I attended the annual meeting of the Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association a few weeks ago, and they surprised me by giving me the Woodworker of the Year Award!  It’s an honor to be recognized by an organization that has done so much to help woodworkers throughout Vermont, and who’s programs and opportunities I have learned and benefited from.  The VWMA sponsors the annual Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival in Woodstock, Vermont, and also the annual Vermont Fine Furniture and Wood Products Design Competition, where I have won many awards for my work over the past seven years.

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View my complete portfolio of furniture, wall mirrors, lamps and utensils:

www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

Award winning studio furniture, handmade in Vermont

Here’s the fourth custom wall mirror from a grouping of four handmade mirrors in bright retro colors that I completed and sold recently.  This one is carved Vermont grown sugar maple with yellow paint.  The maple I used for this mirror is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified sustainably harvested.  I can make these contemporary mirrors in custom sizes and custom colors, and in other woods by request.

(click image to enlarge)

Lemon Taffy Mirror, carved and painted FSC Vermont sugar maple, 15.5″ high x 12″ wide x 2″ deep. Copyright 2013 David Hurwitz, All rights reserved. Photo: Jack Rowell

Special thanks to Jack Rowell for his expertise in photographing the new mirrors.

To view more of my mirror designs and my full portfolio, please visit:

www.DavidHurwitzOriginals.com

(Note: at present my website is only viewable from a flash enabled desktop or laptop computer.  If you click any links to my website from a mobile device, you will be sent to a default mobile site, which does not currently feature my full portfolio).

If you would like to hear about future pieces, please sign up for the David Hurwitz Originals newsletter.

Unique, Handcrafted Woodwork and Design

Handmade in Vermont