Some people obsess over furniture. Others hardly notice it’s even there. But in every case, making environmentally savvy choices in furnishing one’s home can make a big difference in a consumer’s impact on the planet. Sonoma furniture designer Michael Palace strives to fill homes with handmade pieces that are beautiful, unique and – most importantly to Palace – green.
“Green is the centerpiece to my mindset of making furniture and I am proud to be able to not participate in the destruction of forests by using salvaged or saved wood,” said Palace from his well-appointed workshop and showroom in Sonoma. “There is an abundance of wood that does not come from logging. It is my duty as a furniture builder to make pieces that will last long enough for the tree I use to replace itself in the lifetime of my furniture.”
Palace’s work mixes Craftsman and Shaker styles and the organic movement with a sprinkle of postmodern whimsy. His designs avoid unnecessary ornamentation as a means to focus on the natural beauty of the wood. Traditional joinery, like dovetail boxes and hand-tooled joints, are employed to construct every item. Palace uses hand-rubbed finishes to enhance the clarity and depth of the material.
Palace’s handmade designs are perfect examples of the time-honored design principle that form follows function. His exquisite bay entry table has top shelves that were made from a bay log darkened with black swirls by the soil in which it was buried for many years. The table’s curved legs are made from American ash, which is a sustainable wood, and are supported by manzanita branches.
“Sometimes the story of where the wood came from is as interesting as the furniture,” said Palace. “Many pieces were salvaged from previous use, some industrial, some agricultural. Some come from a neighborhood yard when the owner decided to take out a tree to relandscape and I was able to utilize the tree.”
Palace’s one-of-a-kind pear entry table is a striking piece of art that also happens to function as a table. Its top is made from a solid slab of pear and resembles a honey-toned, wavy surfboard. It is rare that a pear tree grows large enough to provide such a large cut of wood, according to Palace. The table’s legs are made from old-growth redwood “hop props,” which were used to grow hops in the Central Valley.
“I pride myself in being able to listen and ask questions of a client in order to design a piece that fits both the parameters of their needs and the needed aesthetic to add to their enjoyment of having the furniture in their house,” Palace said about his ability and willingness to design most anything for a client.
While growing up in the wooded suburbs north of Seattle, Palace became interested in both fine art and woodworking. He found the time to draw, paint and construct things that he described as being “beautiful and useful.” He attended many classes at art schools before turning to carpentry in 1986. He began designing furniture 20 years ago, when a woman who staged open houses asked him to make the many pieces that she needed.
Today, Palace splits his time between building homes as a licensed contractor and making furniture. Although he sees both as creative endeavors, he said that he would “love to do nothing but make furniture all the time.” However, breadwinning is his priority and he’s happy to provide for his wife, Renee, a former real estate agent who is now a stay-at-home mom, and their 12-year-old daughter Emma, an aspiring actress, dancer and singer.
“My job is to design and utilize each piece to its best advantage, its structural ability and its aesthetic beauty,” said Palace. “Oh, and to help people know the difference between green furniture and mass-produced, environmentally destructive, soon-to-be-landfill furniture that fools you into buying it because the initial cost seems to be a deal.”
Palace Furniture Design. 707.815.5657. Hours: by appointment only. Web site: www.palacefurnituredesign.com.
