Design
Woodworker perfection
The Synthesis Bench is made from 26 individually-cut and hand-finished pieces of solid hardwood. Each piece is braced with hidden steel rods for added structural support.
This bench can be made to custom specifications and if possible, it will be made with wood harvested personally by Greta.
Image courtesy of: Greta de Parry
The classically trained woodworker and sculptor, Greta de Parry, founded Greta de Parry Designs in 2010 because she was inspired to bring simple yet artistically crafted furniture to those who would appreciate it. One of the most important aspects to her process is the sourcing of materials.
Greta says that everything she sources comes from the U.S. and from as locally as possible. Using “solid, honest materials” provides the strong foundation for everything she does.
No joints or hardware are exposed.
Wood can be American White Oak, Walnut, or Maple.
Image courtesy of: 1st Dibs
Greta initially focused on sculptures while she was a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During her first semester, when she got the opportunity to tour the Merchandise Mart, she was instantly drawn to the Herman Miller section. The showroom felt like a natural connection to what she was familiar with having grown up with a father who was a builder.
Greta became the first sole artist-in-residence at a post-graduate program affiliated with the SAIC and went on to apprentice with a master woodworker for three years. Once she started making custom commissions, her core values remained focused on quality and construction techniques. Now nine years old, Greta de Parry Designs remains true to those same principles.
Greta de Parry at her workshop.
Image courtesy of: Collective Quarterly
Greta says she’s driven by her compulsive love of furniture. She said, “I go to sleep thinking about furniture. I dream about furniture. I set my alarm for twenty minutes before I need to get up in the morning so that I can lie in bed and and think about furniture. There is no greater joy for me than creating something tangible, beautiful, and useful with my own two hands.”
The taproom at the Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville.
Greta built everything inside including the solid slabs made from Black Walnut which came from Wisconsin. She also built the flight trays, shelving, and brewery seating.
Image courtesy of: Inside Hook, photographed by: Jim Prisching
Greta considers good design as minimal, sculptural, useful, calming, and well-made. The furniture should be noticeable; however, it shouldn’t overpower its surroundings. That isn’t an easy task as most items with a similar presence might overwhelm the space they are within. Eliminating the clutter and chaos of an object and stripping it down to its very core allows for redefining the purpose which essentially is necessary in order to make a new product.
Morel Side Tables. These beautiful tables get their unique look from splatting. Each maple table is distinctive and can be made to order according to specifications.
Image courtesy of: Greta de Parry
Greta’s goal of making every single piece of furniture for her new home is quite a goal to accomplish. However, she says that she’s very excited to return to making furniture that she wants to live with. Calling this her “biggest motivator”, we hope there will be many new pieces joining her product line in the next couple of years!
