Jens Sehm, furniture designer and maker

I was born in the Erzgebirge, the Ore Mountain region of (the former) East Germany, famous for their hand-carved wooden smoking men, light angels, and pyramids. Steeped in the heritage of fine woodworking and high-quality German craftsmanship, I grew up whittling and carving, working in carpentry, and home construction. My passion was put on temporary hold by a career as an inland navigator, navigating most of the major rivers in Europe.

Moving to the United States in 1989, I pursued a degree in construction management at Cal Poly, San Louis Obispo and worked as a Project Engineer for a major commercial construction firm in the Bay Area. After several years, the desire for a more creative outlet led me to focus full-time on woodworking, and in particular, crafting fine furniture, which I have been doing ever since.

I like to work closely with my clients in helping them realize their vision in wood. In this fast-paced world, I take pride in creating distinctive functional pieces of lasting quality and beauty. Many of my pieces feature clean and simple lines that expose the natural beauty of the wood.

I continue to enhance my woodworking knowledge by taking classes at James Krenov’s woodworking program at the College of the Redwoods in Fort Bragg, California. Now at home in Ashland, Oregon, I design and build everything from whole kitchens to individual pieces of furniture for clients up and down the west coast. My cooperative shop setting allows for the collaboration and the ongoing creative exchange of ideas. Recently we also started offering woodworking classes at our shop.