ABOUT DARRELL
Darrell was born in 1950 in Wenatchee, Washington. He currently resides in Seattle with his wife Terry. He has three children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Beginnings
He started his career making and selling small wooden items at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. To broaden his experience, he went on to work for various custom shops throughout the Puget Sound area. He was one of the first furniture makers to have a website – hence the furniutremaker.com domain name.
Design Work
Design has always been his primary motivation. The influence of Greene & Greene can clearly be seen in Darrell’s work and is what he is best known for. Over the years however he has drawn upon the work of many others. Early on, he was influenced by the graceful lines of James Krenov’s furniture and the masterful use of balance and proportion of Thomas Chippendale. More recently he has found aspects of the Mid-Century Modern style to admire.
National Recognition
Darrell’s work has appeared in various galleries; has been featured in both local and national newspapers, magazines, and books; and in private collections throughout the United States and Canada.
Darrell also writes and lectures about design, woodworking, and the history of Greene & Greene. He has written articles for Home Furniture, Today’s Woodworker, Fine Woodworking, Woodwork, Popular Woodworking, American Woodworker, Woodworker West, Style 1900, British Woodworking, 360 Woodworking, and Australian Wood Review. He is especially proud of an article he co-authored with Ted Bosley (director of the Gamble House) for the Society of American Period Furniture Makers: “Design Without Compromise”
His first book, Greene and Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop, was published in April 2006 by Linden Press. His second book, In the Greene & Greene Style: Projects and Details for the Woodworker, was published in 2013, also by Linden Press. His third book, “The Artisan Furniture Maker” is in the final stages of editing and will be released later this year.
Three of his woodworking videos are available through Popular Woodworking Magazine. He has also produced two videos with Marc Spagnuolo, available through the Wood Whisperer Guild: the Fremont Nightstand and the Fremont Chest of Drawers. More recently he has been producing content for his YouTube channel.
Darrell is well known for his innovative woodworking jig and tool designs. His Square Hole Punch is currently in production by Lee Valley Tools.
In 2011, Darrell was voted on to the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Thorsen House (FOTH), a restoration effort of one of Greene & Greene’s Ultimate Bungalows.
Semiretirement
He is now semiretired, but still spends much of his time in the shop. He no longer accepts large commissions but on occasion can be lured into accepting a small project. Darrell mostly explores new designs ideas these days by building pieces for his family and producing “spec” pieces for sale here on his website.