Thomas Schlack Furniture Design has been producing custom one of a kind, functional fine art furniture for over two decades. With focus on form, function, and craftsmanship, his pieces have graced the pages of numerous magazines, and media as well as radio & public forums.
Only the finest and rarest woods and materials from around the globe are used to bring these unique and stunning pieces to life. No detail is overlooked.
From the joinery to the custom hardware and labor-intensive hand-rubbed finish, his furniture not only makes a statement, but invites the onlooker to interact with it.
Other examples of this attention are automatic/ automated lighting in many of his pieces and most notably that automation brings into motion, kitchen cabinets with automatic bifold doors and a dining table that rises and transforms to a serving table with the touch of a button. This allows the chairs to incorporate seamlessly into the table maximizing the space for guest.
The possibilities are endless and Schlack continues to push the boundaries of both craftsmanship and design that he meticulously incorporates into all his pieces.
Thomas is a “creative genius”, with the skills of a “designer, architect, woodworker, artist, mechanical engineer, and electrician”. Who could imagine one person could create this furniture? The furniture looks incredible, fits my aesthetic and is unusual enough to be interesting, but not odd enough to be weird. My visitors response to his furniture is mostly awe and disbelief.”
What Thomas Schlack does with wood is alchemy. In his workshop of one, he transforms the rarest and finest woods and other materials into unique pieces of furniture whose design not only complements their function but also artistically transcends it.
In an era of mass manufacture of forgettable furniture, Schlack is heir to a venerable line of artisans, most recently those of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements. From the former he inherits his affinity for curved lines rather than straight and an aversion to right angles, and from the latter his passion for symmetry and simplicity of form executed in stunningly eclectic raw materials. However, these early modern movements are not so much influences as points of reference for a unique style of incomparable contemporary design.
Schlack’s affinity for curved lines expresses itself not only in the overall forms of pieces but also in their component parts. For legs he prefers the absolute simplicity of the saber rather than the more articulated cabriole leg. His love of curves extends even to hidden detail. Bins and drawers open to surprise with their intricate custom joinery of contrasting woods resembling not dovetails but teardrops. Where feet are needed, the simple bun foot suffices, which can support or morph into a pedestal.
The sculptural quality of his pieces Schlack creates by bending the wood, preserving the flow of its grain through the object like painterly brushstrokes. This respect for the innate character of materials extends to the absence of stain in favor of a natural finish permitting colors and grains to heighten the eye’s engagement with the sensuosity of design. His desire to showcase these inherent qualities explains his palette of exotic woods, often three, the runic number enabling a piece to cast its spell.
Interior design is the logical next step from the furniture and the custom technology some of it incorporates, and Schlack has recently created an Artisan Kitchen. Separated from the adjoining dining room by a counter and chairs, the U-shaped kitchen balances on its three walls a stove with hood, a sink, and a refrigerator and microwave oven. All in stainless steel, these appliances are embraced by exquisite cabinetry and open shelving on the upper middle wall to create airiness enhanced by the accent lighting of a cool but rich color palette.
The efficient use of surrounding workspace renders a center island redundant, which would have cramped the space and cluttered the aesthetics of a countertop that segues seamlessly from preparation to dining. The kitchen reiterates environmentally the perfect marriage of form and function of the furniture.
“The unique design and beauty of Thomas’s work become the focal point of any room it inhabits. I scarcely have a guest that doesn’t comment on the pieces of his furniture that adorn my home. “
“The craftsmanship and detail in Schlack’s designs transcend furniture and becomes art”