Today we’d like to introduce you to John Strauss
John, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Chicago to two parents in the design field, an interior designer Mother and a furniture showroom Father. In addition, I had a Great-Aunt who was an early ASID leader in her interior design world. So I guess you could say that it was destiny. However, I had no original intention of going into furniture. My education and early career was in art. I have an MFA from City University of NY and a BA from Brown University as an art major. I went to NYC after graduating from Brown as I was accepted into the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program. I spent a year in that program. After getting my graduate degree, I wanted to work in the “real world” and not immediately go into teaching, so I looked around for opportunities to augment my carpentry skills, that I had been relying on to earning a living in NYC. I had the good fortune to be selected as the only assistant to a French furniture maker’s at his studio in Brooklyn. The owner was a man named Gabriel Giuntini. He had a fascination with French Art Deco furniture design and during my stay there, we had an opportunity to make a couple of reproduction roll-top desks after the originals by Jacques Emile Ruhlmann. My education at the atelier of Giuntini was fulfilling and life changing and led me to the conclusion that I should pursue a career in furniture making and design. That was about 35 years ago. Life took me to Ohio from NYC 30 years ago, and I have been in practice here ever since.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest struggles along the way have to do with the ever changing selling methods and modalities. My mentor only sold to high end designers and clients in NYC and never had to advertise. He was making furniture before we were dealing with China. Trade with the East changed all that. Ever since, I have had to figure out the best avenue for selling my work. When I began to establish my business, there was no internet to speak of. I tried advertising in the Yellow Pages, selling to designer oriented to the trade showrooms, showing at the largest domestic retail furniture trade show, and many other avenues. The trend has circled from trade showrooms, to brick and mortar retail to internet based sales and ecommerce platforms. I now spend more time selling than I do making the furniture.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Our furniture designs often incorporate decorative fronts that are either printed on the wood doors directly or veneered onto both sides of the door and drawer panels depending on the design. I collaborate with my wife and partner, Carisa Marie on our furniture designs (and she also has an interior design business). Since she has joined forces with me about 12 years ago, we have supercharged our look and ambitions. We work with a few artist collaborators to achieve a unique look, including one in California and a couple in Ohio. To my knowledge, we are the only furniture company in the country that is doing that approach to furniture design. I am proud of our designs as well as the way we have innovated to provide these interesting decorations as part of the look. I have always tried to blend my furniture design with my art background and these pieces are one way for me to do that. Our work is creative and unique. Much of our work is hand made in a traditional manner and we often use materials that are certified to be sustainable.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I grew up in suburban Chicago in a house with a large yard and woods surrounding the home. There were ravines that circled the yard in the back area. I spent many a day exploring nature in those ravines. I have loved being in nature ever since. Part of my time in those woods was building a fort and spending time in it. I felt comfortable in my aloneness there and also spent time with good friends in the “fort”. I learned how to entertain myself and be happy in nature.
Pricing:
- Lozere coffee table $750
- Green Bay Nightstand $1130
- Jesse Media Cabinet $5190
- Charcuterie Board $65
- Sectional sofa $12,120
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.straussfurniture.com/
- Instagram: @john_strauss_canton
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/jsfurnituredesign
- Youtube: @straussfurniture1
