Alphonse Mattia 1947-2023

 We lost another great furniture designer/maker/educator this month - Alphonse Mattia died on April 10 after a strug­gle with lymphoma

 I am, along with many of his students, family members, colleagues and friends, so sad to hear of his passing. 

He's in my top five of all time furniture designers, and it's crushing to think his artistic voice is silenced. Although after reading his obituary on the Furniture Society's website, perhaps he'll be reincarnated as a tree and come back to make furniture again. 

His work is whimsical and fun, like these shelves

 and this mirror, 

and these cabinets.

But don't let that whimsey fool you. His body of work is as serious as it is well crafted.

His valets and butlers remain some of my favorite pieces of his work.

This "architect" butler is seared in my brain, and inspires me every time I begin designing something. 

Seriously, we've lost a legend.