Every piece of Amargosa Studio Furniture is designed with a purpose. The purpose in our furniture is to create a calm, uncluttered space in your home.
It all begins with our selection of materials. While all custom pieces will be made from the client's choice of material, our product line exclusively uses prime walnut and hard maple (sugar maple). These hardwoods have proven themselves throughout centuries of woodwork to be strong, long-lasting, and beautiful. We are proud to source all our lumber from a reliable and sustainable source so generations to come can enjoy beautiful hardwood furniture.
The Design
We believe that the balance between form and function does not have to be a delicate one. When we design something, we aren't finished until it looks right and performs right. Every product we make is prototyped for months to make sure the design doesn't compromise on strength, and that the final product looks the way we intended it to. Beauty doesn't come at the cost of durability. We dedicate ourselves to design and testing to ensure that there is no feature that lacks in fulfilling its purpose beautifully. We hope that you can appreciate the blend of beauty and purpose that is inherent in a well designed piece as much as we do.
The signature elements of design for Amargosa Studio products have become staple features for us as designers. We aim to display a cohesive piece that embraces the symmetry or lack thereof. The rounded edges and long flowing lines of our table legs that connect the base to the tabletop are a charming homage to the tree that each table once was part of. The tabletops all feature a rounded chamfer to soften the table's appearance and to expose parts of the wood grain that are often not seen in traditionally square tables. These features are unique yet timeless.
The Realization of the Design
The manufacture of each meditation bench or table is a process that is both precise and artistic. After a piece is designed, it is our responsibility to create it with as much fidelity to the original drawings as possible. Most of our pieces are assembled after delivery, so it is critical that the individual parts are accurate and congruent. As precise as these need to be, there is artistic liberty in some of the edges and lines that are dictated by the wood grain. Chips and cracks in the wood prevent certain parts from being used altogether, but we believe that, whenever possible, we should incorporate as much swirled grain and as many attractive knots as the wood comes with - only aspects of the wood that would enhance the resulting product, nothing that would risk the integrity. Great variation in the visual texture of the walnut makes for a beautiful tabletop, and the straight grains make for an elegant leg. Making a table, even a production table that's one of hundreds, is an opportunity for artistic expression. It's not just about the shape of the finished product - it's about the way the wood becomes the finished product.
There are occasionally inclusions in the wood that we do not notice when preparing the product. Splits, shakes, and checks are common defects in the raw materials we source. Some of these types of splits are easily repaired using wooden bowties, inlays, or glue. While these repairs are perfectly sound and in some cases make a stronger product, we do not sell pieces that have been repaired this way at full retail cost. Some will appreciate the beauty in the repair - and also the discounted price. In all our work, we aim to do right by our customers.
The Final Finish
All our products are sanded and finished by hand to guarantee that each piece has that perfect feel. We value wood for its visual appeal and for its texture. It only seems right that you should be able to fully appreciate both.
Modern wood protection technology serves as a satisfying last step. Each piece is finished with a naturally curing hard-wax oil to highlight the natural tones of the wood, and to thoroughly protect the wood from spills and scratches. This finish provides the product with a silky satin finish that binds to the wood fibers and allows the wood grain to be felt in the hands. We proudly use Rubio Monocoat (USA), a fully US based manufacturer. Their hard-wax oil is a premium finish without harmful VOCs (Volatile organic compounds). This is the best method for perfecting the appearance and creating something safe and lasting.