David Stine's Handcrafted Wood Furniture

Sustainable Harvesting to Custom Furniture

So what happens when a tree falls in the woods?

Well, if the tree falls in a forest that’s been in the family of master woodworker David Stine for generations, chances are the timber will be designed into an incredible piece of original furniture.

Following the time-honoured tradition and artistry of age-old woodworkers and furniture-makers, David Stine is considered a master of customized, handcrafted furniture. The fourth generation of Stines to steward his family’s land, David's green philosophy is fully realized in the fact that he sustainably harvests and mills all of his own lumber.

Deriving his creative inspirations from the forest itself, he reveals the wood's inner beauty in each piece he designs. Employing old-school technology, David uses joinery and construction techniques that rely on his artistry rather than glues and nails and the eventual shortcuts that spelled an end to the way things used to be. Even his finishes are environmentally responsible.

The high caliber of Stine Woodworking’s furniture has uncovered a growing demand for their wide variety of highly original, richly crafted artifacts now found in the homes of collectors, celebrities and locals alike. From beds to benches and coffee tables to dressers, David’s hardwood creations reveal as much about the man as the wood reveals about responsible stewardship. One trip to his wood shop and studio, in the southern town of Dow, is a lesson about turning dreams into reality.

Meet more Illinois artisans at Illinois Made.