Custom Fine Furniture: Member Holman Studios

The Vermont Guild of Furniture Makers is an association of master level craftsmen makers dedicated to the promotion of quality handcraft, design excellence and the pursuit of artistic vision. The guild works to preserve a time-honored Vermont tradition of fine furniture-making while incorporating the unique personalities and approaches of its membership. 

Guild members concentrate in traditional styles—Shaker, Windsor, Early American—and draw from Mission and Arts and Crafts schools. Some, like Dorset maker Steve Holman, work across a nexus of design influences combining various styles on projects driven by original concepts or custom requests. And they reinvent their own favorite designs over time as new experiences and concepts inform the process. Pictured below are Steve’s ‘Asymmetrical Chairs,’ one of his 'favorites' recently revamped with improved ergonomics and lighter construction.

Visit Holman Studios on the web and you’ll find an abbreviated version of Steve’s story—how he got hooked on furniture making. Not unlike many guild members, there was some grounding influence; a workbench in the background of his growing up. But Holman’s epiphany came when a spell at his college campus infirmary allowed for a point of reflection on his planned career path. A shift from economics to English Lit eventually led him across the country and to increasingly adventurous work with his hands. In California, he apprenticed down the street from Gary Knox Bennett. Not hard to imagine how that could be inspiring!

Steve’s catalog ranges from contemporary to craftsman but when asked about a preference, his response is open and engaging. The diversity of his project schedule is clearly driven by a pursuit of excellence and it appears that he loves the challenge of meeting a custom job square on with “all in” enthusiasm and keen interpretation. He does quite a bit of antique restoration as well. The cases below—vintage traveler's writing desks—were sent to Steve with the want to become end tables. Pictured are the pine mock-ups for the eventual mahogany bases.

Transformational design? He does that, too. A client falls in love with a particular aspect of one piece and asks the maker to incorporate it into a new and different object. See Steve’s Art Deco chair and the custom guitar stands it inspired. 

If you’re interested in visiting Holman Studios, the furniture maker is in most days and welcomes guests with a bit of notice. The workshop office is solar-powered so even in Vermont’s fickle seasons he can be reached by phone or email.

For more of Steve’s work—and work by other members—visit our website. Or better yet, plan a studio visit. Experience Vermont’s handcrafted furniture tradition firsthand!