J. J. Bartz has spent decades working within the custom furniture industry while building strong relationships with sawyers, artisans, collectors, and fellow wood enthusiasts. Alongside selling original work through shows and galleries, he has developed a loyal client base that has commissioned numerous handcrafted pieces, including live-edge tables, modern furniture, and statement furnishings for residential interiors.

One of Jim’s early workshops was located in the well-known Gibson Guitar building in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Many artists worked from that location until the building was sold and the creative community was required to leave. Although the closure was a difficult moment, Jim retained something highly valuable: an extensive collection of exotic and highly figured woods gathered through trusted contacts across the country.

Those carefully selected slabs have become long-term investments and the foundation for many original furnishings. Whenever possible, Jim documents the provenance of each piece of wood, preserving its history and showing the respect that goes into every finished project. This attention to material origin is especially important when creating a luxury coffee table, an organic modern coffee table, or other luxury living room furniture designed to serve as both a functional piece and a natural work of art.

The reclaimed redwood conference table is one example. Although the original table has been sold, enough of this extraordinary ancient redwood remains to create one final dining tabletop.

This rare material is now available for a custom commission. To discuss the piece or learn more about the remaining slabs, please contact Bartz Designs.