Chicago designer Casey Lurie, shown in his Rogers Park workshop (far right), creates bespoke furniture, lighting and objects. Hand planes and other tools (right) are used to fashion such pieces as the Primo shelving system (below) as well as his Steps stool (opposite), which is shown with an isometric drawing.
W
“TO MAKE FURNITURE WITHOUT SCREWS OR NAILS IS SO APPEALING TO ME.”
CH_LX35_SM_Lurie_268-271.indd 270
orking with wood is very satisfying,” says designer Casey Lurie, who creates handcrafted bespoke furniture, lighting and objects for design professionals and private clients worldwide. Enchanted by all things artistic as a child, Lurie chose to attend the California Institute of the Arts and soon began making furniture to support his creative ambitions. “A lot of my early work focused on the intersection of human and architectural scales, such as everyday wares and buildings, respectively,” says Lurie. “Furniture seemed to be the perfect intermediary between the two.” Having apprenticed as a cabinetmaker, Lurie appreciates the history of woodworking and approaches the creation of each piece—using both traditional craftsmanship and high-tech systems— from an artistic lens, tinkering with designs by hand before building a prototype. “To make quality pieces you have to devote a lot of time to them and prototyping helps me to understand the materials,” says Lurie, who recently conceived a lamp for Design Within Reach. The designer’s career took an exciting trajectory when Teruo Kurosaki, founder of Japanese furniture company Idée, discovered his work at a show and offered him a job in Tokyo. “The job and experience of living in that culture were incredible,” Lurie says. Echoes of that experience can be found in his current designs, which have a linear simplicity and rely on intricate, hand-cut joinery. “To make furniture without screws or nails is so appealing to me,” he says. Lurie’s Primo shelving system, for example, is assembled like a puzzle and held together by tension. And, the drawers in his Secretariat desk fit perfectly into the metal sawhorse frame, gradually increasing in size from top to bottom. Lurie’s refined, angular designs are also influenced by the tools he uses, as he prefers traditional hand tools whenever possible. “This way, there’s nothing between your hands and the chisel,” Lurie says. “Being connected to something that has such a rich tradition is fascinating.” Sounds like the perfect angle.
1/20/16 3:52 PM