State of Craft: A Visit to Dorset Custom Furniture

This spring Dan Mosheim celebrated thirty-five years in the studio furniture business. At such a benchmark, his portfolio is extensive, award-winning and happily installed in public and private spaces across the country.

Dan’s blog A Woodworkers Photo Journal chronicles the work at Dorset Custom Furniture. And as a reader of the blog could expect, there was lots to see, learn and take in when we visited last month.



Since Dan’s furniture catalog is deep in volume and stylistically diverse, it was really difficult to choose a finished piece or two to feature here. We settled on ‘Bridges,’ for its aesthetic and design story. The bench was Dorset Custom Furniture’s contribution to the Bennington Museum exhibition ‘State of Craft’ a few years back.

The bench design was partly inspired by Dan’s grandfather, Irvin Seeders, a bridge riveter for Bethlehem Steel for 52 years.  And the design and fabrication was a collaborative effort between Dan (b. 1947)  and his two sons, Sam and Will. “Sam did the steel work and green paint, Will did the burning and finishing, and I roughed out the recycled oak wood, worked on assembly and the conceptual stuff.” Typical Dorset Custom Furniture, dividing the jobs up according to specialty, resulting in a piece that’s totally unique, with a measurable WOW factor. Since then, a really cool line of Bethlehem Steel studio pieces has emerged.
The DCF Family is five. Or six. Five guys making furniture. And one guy making instruments. Trevor’s been with Dan since 2006 and he’s the resident CNC master. Check out his work. Chris is the newest to join the group, a very competent woodworker (recent project here) who’s worked on his own, and also with Guild Member Bill Laberge who has a shop down the street.



And Jim Parsons (a.k.a Mr Lucky) we didn’t get to meet. Dan says he’s the Vice President of ‘lightness and humor’ in the shop. A talented woodworker and glass blower, the two have worked together on an off for many years. Jim rounds out the DCF crew.
 There were a few projects underway when we visited, and some ready to ship. Will was working out a neck for a five string open back banjo. “It’s all Vermont native wood – cherry and hardhack — and themed inlays,” he told us. A few years ago, Will had been working in the furniture shop and making instruments on the side. As an accomplished player (see Gold Town) it was a natural fit and after a blush of first orders, he shifted his title to