Flip this house? Not so fast.
Allan-Dymarz Studios

Furniture Design of Taos

Bob Bresnahan and Emily Zopf are located in Valdez NM, just outside of Taos, and together build some absolutely beautiful wood furniture strongly informed by both the American Arts & Crafts movement the more rustic look of the Mission and various related revival styles.

Bob and Emily's work is quite similar to that of many northeast woodworkers - not necessarily in style, but in that their work is part of a very rich local tradition with its own ways of working specific local woods and using specific techniques rooted in their region. But they are not stifled by historical designs, and instead seek to modernize and change traditional themes:

We like tradition. The New Mexico furniture making tradition is old and rich. The Craftsman furniture traditionis full of great ideas and is very alive today. We want to add to both traditions. Furniture needs to evolve even as it pays tribute to the great heritage of Spanish craftsmanship and the American Arts and Crafts movement.

I found a number of items on their site especially attractive. Take a look at the cherry trestle table with walnut pins and butterfy joins, the hutch with alder vine pattern, which is repeated in a number of items, like this nine-drawer dresser. Their use of unique and obviously Southwestern iron hardware and a number of carved and cut-out motifs make all their work spectacularly un-generic - all pieces are very obviously part of that New Mexico tradition, and would fit with either with a Craftsman or Mission styled home.

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