Custom Furniture Maker Builds Business In Vermont

Furniture World Magazine

Louchheim Design, makers of quality custom design furniture, has opened in Vermont. John and Lindsey Louchheim are the co-owners of Louchheim Design and have returned to Vermont to raise their family while offering clients from across the country custom made furniture of various style influences and the finest quality woods. Louchheim's designs often have strong Art Nouveau and Asian inspired influences, as well as hints of the architects/furniture makers Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and Greene and Greene. "The style of our work varies from piece to piece depending on the style of our clients, and the degree to which they want to let us have free artistic license," states John Louchheim. "Ideally, we are able to blend past styles with our own unique vision for a piece, always working with the client's individual needs and specifications." Louchheim also designs and builds period pieces in styles such as Chippendale, Queen Anne, Sheridan, Federal, and more contemporary styles such as Mission Style, and Shaker. For environmental as well as aesthetic reasons, the materials used most by Louchheim Design are local, North American hardwoods (cherry, walnut, maple, ash, oak, beech), often with naturally occurring figures in the wood (curly, flame, blistery, crotch, burled, spalted, etc.). When design requires it, they also use tropical hardwoods (mahogany,rosewood, purple heart, paduc). All joinery is hand fit, including mortise and tenons, and dovetails. Veneering, marquetry, inlay, bent laminations, carving, and steam bending are all possible with John's training. Antique hand planes, chisels, carving tools, and scrapers are often used. Finishes include: shellac/French Polish, varnish, and oils. John's interest in furniture making and design began at the University of Vermont where he took a woodworking class and a series of art classes. Lindsey's interest in furniture design grew out of her sculpture making and architectural interests. Their shop is located on their property in Grand Isle, allowing them to work together while raising their daughter Lulu (Luisa Isabelle Louchheim). Louchheim offers designs for chairs, tables, benches, trunks, cabinets, chest of drawers, armoires, sideboards, desks, shelves, etc. Their signature pieces are chairs and case pieces (ie. Sideboards), that involve bent lamination and marquetry (where inlaid pieces fit together to form an image.) "Most of our original designs combine both organic, curvilinear, feminine shapes, with more geometric, rectilinear, masculine forms. This combination reflects our team, husband-wife, approach to design," explains Lindsey. "When we get a potential client, I will often come up with the first sketches, which John then helps me fine-tune, based on the realities of building the piece. We then, show these sketches to the client, and if approved, we proceed to make full-size, drafted drawings, from which we build the piece." The price range varies depending on the design complexity, size of the piece, type of wood used, and number of pieces being created. Pieces generally range from about $1,000 (small side table or simple chair) to $15,000 (complex, ornate sideboard or case piece). Lindsey was raised in Burlington, whereas John fell in love with the area while in school at UVM. The couple returned to Vermont this summer to begin their business and raise their daughter, because of the quality of life here, and their love for the greater Burlington area. John received a bachelor of science in environmental biology from the University of Vermont, and spent two years of studying at The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts, under renowned furniture maker, Phillip Lowe (formerly of the North Bennett Street School, in Boston's old north end). Lindsey's training includes one semester studying Early Renaissance art and architectural history and art, in Florence, Italy, at Studio Art Centers International (SACI), a Bachelor of Arts with a double major/concentration in Architectural History and Fine Arts from Brown University, a ceramic tile course at Fleischer Art Memorial in Philadelphia, metal working classes at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, and a woodworking class at the Homestead Woodworking School in New Hampshire. The couple lives in Grand Isle, Vermont with their infant daughter Lulu. To see samples of Louchheim's work, or for additional information, visit their web site at www.louchheimdesign.com.