Andrew Moe and his wife Amanda run Studiomoe, a furniture design
company in Portland Oregon, where Andrew handcrafts heirloom modern furniture
using sustainably harvested American hardwoods.
1. One of the woods you use in your furniture is called urban
salvage Oregon Black Walnut. Can you tell us about it?
The grain colors in Oregon Walnut are very distinctive, tending
towards rich dark reds and purples, as opposed to the browns and greys found in
walnut trees grown on the east coast. Amanda, my wife and the Creative
Director of Studiomoe, coined the term "Red Espresso" to describe the
appearance of Oregon Walnut, which captures it perfectly. The Oregon
Walnut that we use comes from trees that have died naturally or were dying in
the Portland Metropolitan region, or had to be removed for construction
purposes.
2. Why is sustainability so important to your process?
Sustainably is common sense. It's not a grand idea, and
certainly not a new idea. From the beginning of time people have known
that it is a bad idea to waste resources, and a good idea to care for the land
around you in the best way that you can. It is simply more relevant now
that we have the capability to do greater damage at a faster rate. As we
all know, it also feels good to do the right thing, and conversely...
3. What has been the single greatest influence on your notion of
good furniture design?
Simplicity. I'm not sure that's an influence, but when I
see a piece of furniture that is simple, original, and well made (with some
wood in it), it really excites me. Like anything done at a very high
level, it should look easy, but is not. The wood element is something
that I can't explain. I simply find it beautiful and mysterious, I like
to think that it is both humble and honest, and I love to work with it.
4. You’re also a writer, and you appreciate great literature.
Stylistically, which writer are you most like when you’re designing and
creating furniture?
Many of my designs are fairly pared down, so the easy answer
would be Hemingway (hopefully) but in temperament, in terms of working, I
aspire to Shunryu Suzuki, who wrote one of my favorite books, Zen Mind,
Beginner's Mind, which I need to read more often. As the title suggests,
it's about approaching things as a beginner, regardless of how long you've been
doing them. Aside from the very helpful content of that book, there is
something about the style in which it is written that I find poetic. It
is not trying to be beautiful.
5. You’ve had studios on both the east coast and the west
coast. What is your ideal setting for producing great work?
I don't think there is an ideal setting. My experience has
been that the good stuff comes when it comes (if it comes). But different
places offer different experiences. In New York City, working with wood all day
in the midst of an intensely urban environment was very nurturing, and
grounding. Here in Portland, in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, there
are trees everywhere. Every ridgeline is shaped by fir trees. Many
of the city parks have giant Sequoia trees that are hundreds of years old. There
is a forest within the city limits. Trees are a part of this place, and
the history of the entire region. This past year Amanda has encouraged me
to make smaller gift size items as we're in the process of expanding the
company to include gifts and home accents. The first thing I made,
without planning it, were miniature trees shaped on the bandsaw, from scrapwood
in the shop. The trees have a way of getting into your system.
Thankfully.
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