The Studio

If you wander into Sean Woolsey Studio on any given day there is hot coffee on the desk, jazz music in the background, a still wet surfboard set to the side; an atmosphere of something you cannot quite name but you want to be near it.

The mood, like his work, is somehow both elevated and elegant but relaxed and relatable. The studio is a place oozing with creativity; with mini models of furniture, drawings everywhere, jigs, tools, it is a very tactile expression of a world not often seen anymore.

All of the furniture is made by hand, one at a time in their Costa Mesa studio by a cadre of friends and coworkers who you can tell love what they do. When you leave their shop, you wonder what kind of creative renaissance is taking place inside the walls there.

It is something truly magical.

-Erin Rose Belair

  • Sean Woolsey

    FOUNDER

    Woolsey began making furniture after 8 years of being in apparel design. Fascinated by how things are made he began taking apart furniture and seeing how it was made. He grew up with a mother who was an artist and a father who was one of the most prolific stained glass artists in America for 2 decades. Woolsey decided some formal training might be good, so he took some woodshop classes and knew he was hooked on furniture building and woodworking. A designer and businessman at heart, Woolsey is constantly working on new designs, improving processes and his designs and forging lasting relationships with people all over, many of whom become his friends.

  • Ash Van Derlinden

    STUDIO MANAGER

    Ash loves the great outdoors, walking, skiiing, surfing, pickleball and woodworking. When she is not building out her van and traveling, she can be found managing the day to day of the studio and keeping everything organized and orders shipping out in time. When Ash is not behind a computer, she is showing people around in the showroom + studio, as well as woodworking in the shop. Ash has a smile that you just want to be around, makes us all laugh, and reminds us to enjoy every day.

  • Ken Horiguchi

    WOODWORKER/ PROTOTYPING

    Ken loves woodworking. Simply put. He is always tinkering and working on many new ideas for the shop, and making things for himself. Ken helps with design, prototyping, and orders in the shop. He has become prolific in his skillset and ability to problem solve. When he is not woodworking, he is probably surfing or eating a burger somewhere.

  • Steve Dunn

    WOODWORKER

    Steve is the latest woodworker on our team, and has quickly become a valuable asset. Steve constantly is juggling many orders and shop tasks and is extremely thorough and detailed in his approach to woodworking. He is a sponge, constantly absorbing information and learning. Steve loves camping, working on his house, and riding mini motorcycles in the desert.

  • Makoto Wada

    WOODWORKER

    Makoto hails from Japan and joined the team a couple of years ago after over a decade of being a master donut maker/pastry chef. Makoto is one of the hardest workers we have ever seen, and is constantly learning. When not working (which is rare) he can be found hanging with his dogs, or surfing down at San Onofre.