Furniture Design & Woodworking
The Furniture Design & Woodworking program at Anderson Ranch draws upon the world of studio furniture, but pushes the boundaries of woodworking by mixing contemporary and traditional techniques and incorporating alternative materials. Anderson Ranch offers an inspiring range of workshops for all levels in topics such as cabinetry, wood bending, kinetics and carving.
The Maloof Wood Barn, divided into a machine room, assembly room, and bench room, provides participants the ideal workshop for realizing technical and creative goals. The machine room houses stationary equipment including SawStop table saws, jointers, planers, bandsaws, drill presses, edge sander, disk sander, drum sander, spindle sander, radial arm saw, chop saw, router table and multi-router. In the assembly and bench rooms, a library of clamps, hand tools, and hand-held power tools line the walls for student use to complete their woodworking projects.
The Furniture Society and Anderson Ranch are partnering this year to offer a scholarship for one BIPOC applicant to attend a workshop for the 2025 summer season. This opportunity includes tuition for a one-week workshop, room and board for a Furniture Design and Wood workshop, and a 1‑year membership to The Furniture Society. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Anderson Ranch is happy to extend a tuition discount* in summer one- or two-week adult furniture design and woodworking workshops** for Furniture Society members. Please email reg@
Lane Preston
Studio Coordinator of Woodworking & Furniture Design
Lane Preston, originally from Houston, Texas, received his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an emphasis in Photography and Sculpture in 2016. After graduation he worked as an exhibitions coordinator and photographer for art and design galleries to put on exhibitions all over the world. In 2021, he went to Florence, Italy, for his MFA in Furniture Fabrication and Design, after teaching abroad for two years.
Anderson Ranch Campus
Upcoming Workshops
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II
Level II
Students have experience working with stationary machines and power tools and are familiar with basic principles of joinery and 3-D design.
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III
Level III
Students have some formal training in 3-D design, experience with a variety of materials and fabrication processes, and know how to use machine and hand tools competently and safely. Students have a portfolio of their artwork.
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IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of furniture design. Students are highly motivated and have multiple portfolios of their artwork.
Jun 2 - 13, 2025
9AM-5PM
Digital and Organic: Wood Bending and the CNC
Laura Kishimoto
Tuition $1,650
Code W0101-25
In this innovative workshop that bridges woodworking and digital fabrication, we utilize the CNC Router to fabricate jigs and molds for bending and cutting joinery. Bending represents a dramatic departure from most traditional fine woodworking. Rather than working with rectilinear geometry, students lean into the materiality of wood and explore its natural strengths through curvature. Reference faces are often non-existent and require unique joinery, creative thinking, and novel use of machinery. Basic drawing techniques in Rhinoceros 3D are introduced as students design and prototype a project specific to their personal style.
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O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jun 9 - 20, 2025
9AM-5PM
Bulk, Bulges, and Raw Edges: Upholstery Basics
Tina Ortman
Tuition $1,650
Code W0202-25
Restore furniture or enhance original designs with the addition of pattern, texture, and comfort in a workshop that explores the possibilities of upholstery. Starting with a basic chair, we strip the layers to discover how an upholstered piece is constructed, then reverse the process by installing webbing, springs, and padding with the final embellishment of fabric. Whether your interest lies in adding upholstery to your own furniture designs or renovating existing furniture, students come away with the knowledge of the basic tools, techniques, and materials of upholstery. Furniture to be upholstered must be approved by the instructor before the workshop starts.
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O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jun 16 - 20, 2025
9AM-5PM
Sculptural Coopered Vessels
Peter Park, Jung In Hwang
Tuition $1,240
Code W0303-25
This class shows students a fun way of putting many flat, smaller pieces of wood together and building them into a large, organic, and free form. With this coopering-like special glue-up technique, each student achieves a vessel form that starts from a flat board of lumber instead of a big chunk of log. This class also provides the opportunity to learn how to use hand carving tools such as gouge, rasp, file, and scraper and power tools like angle grinder, die grinder, jointer, circular saw, and band saw safely and properly.