Andy Sanchez Furniture
Andy and Cheryl and their seven children
For nearly 30 years Andy Sanchez, together with his sons, Aaron and Daniel, have been creating original works of art.
Our designs come from the creator.
Traditionally, when a carpenter begins to make a piece of furniture he or she will begin with their design, then make a cut list to carry out that design. Then, they will collect the perfectly milled wood and cut it to fit their needs. The next step would be to construct the furniture exactly the way they had planned it.
Chair designs through the years.
Andy and his sons have completely redefined the way their furniture is designed and built. Instead of going the more traditional route of designing, then getting the wood to fit the design, they are completely led by the wood.
The design process begins outside where they keep many various logs and slabs of wood. They do not carve the wood to fit their design, but let the natural flow of the wood design the piece. Once the material is carefully picked for its unique qualities and personality, it is brought into the studio where it may rest for some time. Andy and his sons will study the piece to visualize how to let out the beauty that is already there. Every design is discussed between the group of artists and then one of them takes the lead on the project and the responsibility of communicating with the client.
Andy, surfacing a table.
Andy Sanchez' innovative approach to furniture design has been copied by many other wood workers but Andy and his sons bring an artistic talent and originality which makes their work excel and increase in value year after year. Without the careful consideration of the wood and its personality it is impossible to create a work of art that is completely unified. It is only after understanding the wood it is possible to match it with its stones.
It is easy to make nature work for us, but few will take the time to work with nature. "It is not our intention to change what God has created to fit our needs, but rather to enjoy and appreciate what has already been provided for us in nature." - Andy Sanchez Andy and Aaron's goal for their furniture is two-fold. Their desire is to create heirloom pieces that will last for generations, and to artistically display the beauty within nature, preserving the natural beauty of the wood, and causing the spirit within man to be in awe of God's creation.
Every knot, and what some may call "imperfection" in the wood is carefully considered.
The next step is to find the stones that will perfectly fit the piece. Often the wood and stone are actually from the same location, furthering their unity. One signature of an Andy and Aaron Sanchez piece is their frequent use of the book match. This is possible for them because of their close relationship with their wood cutters who hand pick the wood, and then bring it out of the Gila National Forest for them.
"We only use dead-standing (totally dead tree that is upright or fallen) wood for our furniture. The wood that is harvested for us has been dead for years and sometimes decades. This ensures that it is well cured and stable." The wood is not "green" but our process definitely is. Since we started we have “branched out” to reclaimed wood and have started sourcing from landscapers that replace old trees with new trees every time they harvest. We’ve always believed in taking care of the earth God gave us and it is a blessing to do so!