arnt arntzen

I have been designing and building furniture since 1986. 

My designs are influenced by my environment,  the wild west coast and the abundance of wood and found objects.  The wood is hand cut by myself in and around the city of Vancouver.  Many of the objects are aircraft parts such as wings, propellers and helicopter blades.  Most of my material is recycled. 

Joining found objects with large slabs of wood has forced me to innovate new construction methods and has greatly influenced my designs.  The challenge is to design and build pieces that will withstand the test of time both structurally as well as visually.

I prefer contemporary design because it is more challenging to design something that is not familiar and by this process I think we can better our living environment.

Although my main influence is contemporary design I am a throwback to a time when you respected your elders and they in time passed on their secrets and skills that allowed you to carry on these traditions.