Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
DOW - When talking about an area American-owned, entrepreneur-type of business, one can look no further than Dow, IL., to David Stine Furniture.
David Stine Furniture offers custom, handcrafted, solid wood furniture made from sustainably harvested American hardwoods. The business is located at 24114, Illinois Route 3, Dow. David Stine is an award-winning furniture craftsman whose work marries sustainability with traditional American craftsmanship.
David Stine Furniture plans a Grand Opening Open House & Shop Tour from 11 a..m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 13. Stine encouraged everyone to come by and tour the new showroom and woodshop.
"We'll even have some of our one-of-a-kind branded boards available for purchase on that day,” he said. “Safety protocols will be observed, so please wear a mask.”
David is the fourth generation to steward his family’s 500 wooded acres in rural Illinois, where he sustainably harvests and mills the lumber he uses in his work.
David Stine said a few words describe who he is and his business operation: “Real. American. Furniture.”
The hardwoods business was formed in 1997. He said his furniture represents the finest in traditional American craftsmanship, sustainability, and integrity.
“I am the fourth generation to steward my family’s 500 acres in Illinois, where I sustainably harvest all of the wood I use in my work,” Stine said. “The woods are both the source of my lumber and the source of my design inspiration. Being so close to the wood — from growing it to harvesting it to milling it — informs my work in the most natural, harmonious way.
“As I mill the logs, every cut is a revelation as I see the inner life and extraordinary beauty of the wood. Often, as I mill a board I see immediately what I will build and what the wood will become. I don’t try to bend the wood to my will; rather, I let it be what it wants to be, and my designs maximize the raw, singular, natural beauty of the wood — graining, knots, live edges, and all.”
David and his wife, Stephanie, work hand in hand in the business. She is the managing director of the operation. The two met while David was in school in Washington, D.C. Stephanie at the time ran a bar/restaurant and David was one of the bouncers. She laughed and said she still calls him "David Stine," even after years of marriage. She said she says his full name because she had to all the time in the business with multiple men named David working in the establishment.
Stine’s extraordinary designs showcase the singular, natural beauty of the wood.
“I don’t torture the wood or bend it to my will,” he says. “I let the wood speak for itself. Being so close to the wood, from watching it grow to harvesting and milling it, informs my work in the most natural, harmonious way. As I mill the logs, every cut is a revelation as I see the inner life and extraordinary beauty of the wood. Often, I see immediately what the wood will become, and what I will build.”
Every piece is handcrafted using traditional methods of joinery and construction, with details clients can see and feel. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and a testament to the grace and majesty of the tree, which lives on in a beautiful, functional way.
David Stine Woodworking has been featured in Dwell, Forbes Life, the Chicago Tribune, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Fine Woodworking, Western Art & Architecture, Mountain Living, the Robb Report, designspace, Architectural DC, Cottages & Bungalows, and St. Louis Magazine where David was named one of St. Louis’ top-10 green entrepreneurs. His clients include Michael J. Fox, Ina Garten, architect Hugh Jacobsen, Andrew Sullivan, Chris Eigeman, Forrest Sawyer, James Beard Award-winning chef Gerard Craft, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. David is a member of the Furniture Society and the American Craft Council.
The showroom is open by appointment only, so if you can't make it to the open house on June 13 but would like to schedule a visit, just shoot us an email. Thanks, everyone - hope to see you in June. Questions? stephanie@stinewoodworking.com (618) 946-1413.
Stine closed and again expressed the pride he has in his American-owned, family operation.
“Every piece I craft is the articulation of the natural beauty of that tree, which lives on as a beautiful and useful object, one that can grace a home for a lifetime and beyond,” Stine said. “Mine is a different sort of craftsmanship, one that is infused with tradition, sustainability, integrity, and history. It’s not just craftsmanship; it’s a way of life.”
See Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/davidstinefurniture
See website:
https://www.stinewoodworking.com/
More like this:
