Craig Thibodeau
“I design and build privately commissioned contemporary custom furniture for individual clients from my workshop in Va. Having studied traditional methods of furniture-making and classical marquetry with some of today’s modern masters, I am able to combine beautiful materials, premium craftsmanship and a touch of artistry to create custom furniture of the highest caliber.
Over the years my furniture has won numerous Best Of Show and 1st Place Awards in regional and national exhibitions including Best Of Show at the 2007 International Design In Wood Exhibition, Best of Show at the 2007 and 2009 Artistry In Wood Exhibitions at the Sonoma County Museum of Art, Grand Prize in the 2013 VeneerTech Craftsman’s Challenge for my Art Deco Table with Trompe L’oeil Interior, and Grand Prize in 2016 for my Automaton Table. I’ve won 11 awards from the Craftsman’s Challenge competition over the years including 2 grand prizes, 4 category wins and many honorable mentions; it’s been an honor to take part in it for so long and to have won more awards than any other maker.
Client involvement has been key to my work from the very beginning. Many clients commission marquetry furniture with very specific ideas in mind for the floral arrangement and its composition. Others prefer to leave me a bit more creative space to explore and see where it leads. I appreciate both methods, and each brings interesting challenges to my work. I often find that designing furniture that fulfills the desires of the client allows me to build pieces that I might not otherwise have had the opportunity to create. Many of the furniture pieces showcased in my portfolio are the results of these collaborations.”
