Studio Dunn

Studio Dunn is a small furniture company that creates original, hand worked hardwood designs. We are inspired by the richness of American heritage and by the ingenuity that can only be found in a hand involved design process.

History

Studio Dunn was founded in 2010 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. We have since moved three miles south to Providence, Rhode Island, a city whose American heritage continues to inspire both our process and us.

Originality

We speak in a functional, clear and independent design language that directs our premise: simplicity through beautiful, hand worked, American-made, hardwood furnishings. Our pieces pay tribute to the simplicity and purity of the materials themselves while visually representing the meticulous, considered process of design revision and attention to detail.

Wood

Wood is one of the oldest and most fascinating materials. Working with solid wood requires knowledge, patience and love of the material. To us, this material is personal: it lives, feels nice to the touch, and never looks the same. When treated correctly and with respect for its strengths and weaknesses, wood is honest and full of character.

Below the Surface

Oil is applied by hand and massaged into the finely sanded surfaces, leaving the open pores of the wood free to breathe and to absorb and release moisture, affording them the best protection without any chemical treatment. The glow of our oil-finished woods is an invitation for hands and eyes to enjoy as well as a means of both preserving and increasing its intrinsic character over time.

Sustainability and Environment

For Studio Dunn, sustainability is no fleeting trend but the basis for our mindset right from the start of our design process. We adopt an overall conscious approach of designing and manufacturing with reuse of material and minimization of waste to benefit the environment without compromising the integrity of our designs. Moreover, we work with high-quality domestic timber, unique in color and grain, from sustainable forests. Combining in-house manufacturing with a network of local manufacturers and artisans, Studio Dunn produces all of its pieces locally in the northeast region of the United States.

Custom Designs

Alongside our standing collections, we also realize commission projects, including design consultation and fabrication. The combination of material expertise and the keen, contemporary design standards inherent in Studio Dunn helps to create customized solutions for a variety of environments.

Design Team

Asher Dunn
Founder + Owner + Designer
Asher Dunn was born and raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where his interests in design and how things work were recognized from a very young age; Asher’s parents recall him dismantling the ventilation system in their household with his Sesame Street screwdriver set at the age of 18 months. After studying Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), he engaged the community with the launch of a community woodshop, Keeseh Studio, offering memberships, classes, and services. In 2010 Asher launched Studio Dunn. Asher employs a meticulous design process similar to that of a scientist – designing and refining until things are just right. When this plaid wearing designer is not off starting new companies, he enjoys watching educational documentaries, kayaking, and pen n’ ink drawings.

Andrew Mau
Designer + Production Manager + Fabricator
Andrew, all the way from Honolulu, Hawaii, studied Furniture Design at RISD. Andrew joined Studio Dunn in 2010 when he assisted with the prototyping of the Rhode Island Collection – he has been a critical member of the team ever since. Andrew has a hands-on and high efficiency approach to design. By day, he puts his keen design senses and organizational desires to work; by night, Andrew dreams of the beach, finding which music should be playing in the studio, and making smoothies.

Emily Woratzeck
Designer + Fabricator
Emily is the most recent addition to the Studio DUNN design team, also earning her degree in Furniture Design at RISD. A true New England native, hailing from Gales Ferry, Connecticut, she studied biology and painting before attending RISD. She brings an experimental design process and commitment to quality workmanship to the team. Emily’s fondness for animals, natural disasters, the sun, and drawing dinosaurs brings charm and quirkiness the studio atmosphere.