The furniture I design and build is inspired primarily by architecture and sculpture. The gouged surface of the liquor cabinet shown
here, for instance, was my interpretation of the large basswood reliefs created by Hiromichi Iwashita. The structure of the piece is reminiscent of the balance of rectangles and curves in Japanese interior architecture.
My work is intended to stand out, both in design and workmanship, while maintaining a subtle presence. I choose woods that I feel good about using – either domestic or European – that are both appealing and fine to work with hand tools. I avoid using rain forest woods and the “wow factor” that their grain often yields, preferring to use creative design elements and unusual texturing methods to develop furniture with details that draw curiosity and show integrity throughout the piece.
For cabinets that require veneers, I usually forgo the commercial stuff in favor of material that I saw myself from large planks. Although this process requires significantly more time it allows me far more design flexibility. The shop-sawn veneer that I create also yields surfaces that are more appealing and can be repaired if they are damaged.
I count myself lucky to have a vocation that is challenging and rewarding – not only in terms manual skills but creative ability as well. In all of my furniture making and design I try to respect the words of one of my instructors at the Fine Woodworking Program at the College of the Redwoods, “Be happy in your work.”
I have shown award-winning work in galleries in California, Maryland and Vermont. I am a member of the New Hampshire Furniture Masters (furnituremasters.org), an association of twenty-three makers who pride ourselves in creating pieces that demonstrate exceptional design and the highest level of craftsmanship. Our main marketing event of each year is a month long exhibition at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord followed by an auction at the newly renovated Currier Museum in Manchester, NH
Visit my website here.
Sam Norris Furniture, Burlington, VT 
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