Brian Preston, founder of furniture workshop Lamon Luther, believes there is a parallel between the craftspeople at his workshop and also the furniture they make. “We often utilize salvaged metal or reclaimed wood from an old barn, timber scraps which many don’t even attempt to recycle,” though they have a great deal of value, ” he says. “Our men were also society’s castoffs until they went on this transformative route”
Transformation occurs daily at this workshop in Atlanta, Georgia. “We occasionally purchase from the local demolition men, too,” Preston says. “I enjoy that the craftsmen can make something concrete and functional for other people, and that at the end of the procedure they can take a step back and watch this beautiful finished product which they have made with their hands”
Ashley Anthony Studio
Preston’s house showcases many of the shop’s mock-ups, this petite sideboard included. “I am the only designer at this time, but pretty soon we’ll have to hire more designers,” he says.
Ashley Anthony Studio
This industrial bench and timber pallet art are one-offs. Preston discovered the bench legs at a landfill. “Most of these mock-ups and furniture around the house were going to wind up in the garbage,” he says.
Lamon Luther
TC and Scott, working here on storage units, were Preston’s first couple of hires. Both lived at the same displaced community in the woods until Preston asked them to join him performing odds-and-ends tasks around town.
“Orders started trickling in for custom made furniture pieces, and pretty soon I needed to employ more people for the commercial tasks,” says Preston.
Preston’s mission isn’t about handouts. “These guys wanted occupations,” he says. “They wanted to go back to doing exactly what they were doing until they lost their jobs as carpenters, builders and home remodelers.”
Lamon Luther
Like tens of thousands of people across the country, craftspeople were struck hard by the flailing real estate market, which crashed in 2007. Stripped of their carpentry and construction projects, many found themselves jobless and displaced. However, “they are a few of the hardest-working craftsmen I have ever worked with,” Preston says.
Lamon Luther
The timber pallets used at the store go through a protracted repurposing procedure. The craftspeople search for timber with patina — something that you don’t normally find at your regional home improvement shop.
Ashley Anthony Studio
Here, a wood pallet wall adds warmth to Preston’s light-filled living space. “Our coffee table will probably be in roughly 20 retail places by next year,” he says. The rustic-industrial bit came together once Barry, a craftsman, revealed his welding skills to Preston.
Lamon Luther
Barry is now the workshop metal expert. “It’s cool to see him really find his niche,” he says.
Lamon Luther
“Not a lot of men and women consider their furniture as a catalyst for change. It’s nice to know that the men have a hand at making something which gives someone great joy in their own house. Sure, they are building stuff, but they are also rebuilding their own lives.”
