Furniture

Jim is a craftsman. On a large scale, he has worked on custom homes, both wood-frame and adobe; hundreds of film and theatrical stage sets, from the gumbo hut in Angel Heart to the 40-building frontier town of Silverado. A favorite project was participating in the adobe construction of the Dar al Islam mosque, designed and supervised by noted Egyptian architect for the poor, Hassan Fathy.

Jim also works on a refined scale, handcrafting furniture from pine, with its rich figures and grain patterns. Years living and working in New Mexico formed his aesthetic, particularly the design and construction of adobe dwellings, churches, and kivas. With these architectural elements and indigenous building materials in mind, Jim has forged an individual style—contemporary, robust, and welcoming. His tables, bedsteads, cabinets, desks, bookshelves, and stools feature characteristic details: corbels, zig-zag patterns, rounded, softened edges, and original hand-carved elements. He finishes pieces with wax or water-based sealer to give surfaces a soft sheen. His use of artisan-crafted iron hinges and square-cut nails integrates and unifies his pieces. Jim has been known to inscribe a secret message on a custom piece for the user's discovery and delight. If that doesn't make a bed one's own, what will?