I designed and custom built this black walnut writing desk for my client as a pleasant place to work on his graduate studies. We started with a simple desk design with straight aprons and slightly tapered legs, and added the solid black cherry accents to give the piece a little more visual interest. The piece features a nicely figured solid black cherry dovetailed drawer with hidden under mount ball bearing drawer slides with a nice soft-close feature. The cherry color will deepen over time to add even more natural beauty to the very nice natural wood of the desk. The piece is hand rubbed with multiple layers of oil polyurethane to highlight the figure of the wood and provide maximum protection. I added a couple of other variations on this design. :)
A Maker who has been a valued part of this community for several years.
Customers say that this Maker ships promptly after completing a project.
This Maker has consistently demonstrated excellence in craftsmanship and customer service.
My name is Aaron Maes. I'm an artist, designer and master furniture maker. My work is known for its quality craftsmanship and attention to detail.
My formal training is in studio art. I like to draw and paint, but in school I quickly gravitated to sculpture in wood and metal.
The physical process, the immediate feedback and the noise and smells and dust-the overall experience really engaged me creatively. The transition to furniture making was a natural one. I have always appreciated the art of finely crafted furniture, the beauty of the wood itself and the design challenges involved. It also lends itself well to my perfectionist nature as I strive to create art in a functional and beautiful piece.
My work is based on my love for the craft. I especially appreciate the design of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the simple lines of Shaker furniture, but I also thrive on the challenge to create a beautiful and well engineered piece that compliments an existing space or existing furniture.
Jim Bartels
For Coffee/end table framesAaron is great to work with. He built 2 cherry end tables and a coffee table for me that turned out even better than my expectations. While I had a very good idea of what I wanted, Aaron's suggestions helped reduce the overall project cost without compromising quality of the product. His communication was great - usually got back to me in hours (or less) and kept me informed through pictures every step along the way. He will be my first choice for any future custom furniture project. His knowledge, skill and craftsmanship are top notch.
Clarissa Bodde
For Cherry four post spindle bedJulia Phillips
For Custom Designed Walnut And Curly Maple BedAaron and his son just left after delivering out bedroom set. We are THRILLED!! The pieces are gorgeous and extremely well made - they will last more than a lifetime. Aaron has been a pleasure to work with as we worked through details of the design, dimensions, hardware options, etc. He has always been extremely responsive to messages and has regularly kept us posted on the progress. This has been a particularly challenging year for him and his family, which led to a delay in delivery (hence the lower rating on "timeliness"), but the pieces were really worth waiting for. If we have other furniture needs, we will definitely contact Aaron.
Mark Goldstein
For Mission-style stand-up deskJust thrilled.
This was a different sort of project - an unconventional piece of furniture (a standing desk, set up for computer access) in a mission/arts and crafts style.
Aaron put in a ton of time at the front end to ensure that the design was exactly right. Tremendous attention to detail, and beautiful craftsmanship. Delivery coincided with the 2012 Fine Furnishings show, at which it was featured and highly complimented.
Aaron was a pleasure to work. Thanks again.
Nikki
For Mantle clockAaron did a great job making a custom mantle clock for me. His drawings in the bid were just like the final project. He was a pleasure to work with. I wish we had more custom wooden things we needed!
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