Seth Rolland

Seth Rolland works from his studio in Port Townsend, WA, an hour and a half from Seattle. Visitors are welcome, please contact Seth to arrange a time for your visit. I have been a custom furniture maker for 24 years, first in Taos, New Mexico and now in Port Townsend, Washington. During that time my work has evolved to be more organic both in design and technique. Forms in nature have always been my primary inspiration. I admire the simplicity and economy of the natural world where each material shows its full range of possibilities. I am drawn to natural forms because they are not static: they grow, spring, flow, balance, fracture and erode. Each of my designs starts with the idea of such a motion, in addition to the function of the piece of furniture. In my furniture I emphasize structure over ornamentation, and dramatic transitions instead of exposed joinery. To refine my designs, I sketch, make scale models and full size patterns of important parts. I choose woods that complement the design of the piece and the room for which it is made. Since nature is my inspiration, I try my best to care for it by using sustainably harvested woods. Many of the details of my furniture do not show up in photos: textures, edges and curves that are meant to be touched more than seen. I want my furniture to be fun to touch, sit in, eat off and live with for many generations.