The San Francisco Chronicle recently ran an article on one of my favorite furnituremakers, Berkeley Mills. Their Japan meets Craftsman style is instantly recognizeable and really enunciates many of the best features of each aesthetic. As seen in the photograph above, they do architectural millwork and cabinetry as well, not just furniture.
A good friend just completed a Craftsman-style house for his family, and
he was looking for furniture that would match its authentic style. On a
recommendation from the Craftsman Home in Berkeley, we headed for Berkeley
Mills, one of a small handful of Craftsman-inspired furniture-makers in the
United States.
When we wandered into the showroom, I did not announce that I was a
Chronicle contributor, or that I was a wood butcher who’d fashioned a variety of cabinetry projects (along with dozens of houses) over the past 30 years. The
guy on the floor approached us, discovered our interest, and promptly led us to
a sideboard, stating in an offhand way, "This is one I built."
Tim Uli, owner of T.M. Uli & Son is an Arts & Crafts furniture maker located in San Saba, Texas.
He has been building quality furniture for over 30 years. His portfolio ranges from very traditonal Craftsman pieces to some of his own creations, which he calls a Craftsman/Shaker/Asian design. He specializes in seating,ie. Morris recliners and love seats. Pieces are built mostly by hand, using the old methods of work, such as steam bending chair parts, hand cut tenons and, using ammonia fumed finishes.
He spent 10 years making furniture in Maine, and was a member of the Guild of Maine Woodworkers. He was also one of the founding members of the Salt River Artisans Gallery in Boothbay, Maine. Folks in Texas looking for a custom furniture maker, specializing in the Arts & Crafts designs should contact him for quality furniture at reasonable prices.