Camira chats with MorningWorks, a Californian design + make studio

Made by hand in their rural barn in Northern California, each piece of furniture by MorningWorks Studio is a work of art. Blending traditional handcraft with a love of modern design, their seating catalogue is filled with chairs and benches that are impeccably crafted, sustainably sourced, and filled with the kind of attention to detail that makes you marvel.

Founded, owned, and ran by husband and wife team Sean and Leslie Wood, we spoke with designer and maker Sean to learn more about his craft - where he finds inspiration, how he brings each chair to life, and, of course, the fabrics he loves to use. 

"I consider myself primarily an upholsterer, just with additional skills."

My chairs require multiple disciplines to make. It begins with the frame, that’s woodworking. Generally next is the cord work. I work with Danish paper cord on most of the pieces currently in our catalog. And finally comes the upholstery and leather work. I began as an upholsterer 35 years ago and still consider myself primarily an upholsterer, just with additional skills.

In terms of process, being a one-man shop allows me to adjust my workflow to keep the energy and motivation up. So when I’m doing a batch of dining chairs for instance. I can stagger the processes so that each day I’m doing a bit of everything – woodworking, finishing, weaving etc. Rather than doing all the woodworking first and then having to do nothing but sand for days on end. Ugh! The way I do it keeps things fresh and creates a variety of achievable goals throughout each day.