After almost five years of designing and fabricating one-of-a-kind furniture for individual clients, Minneapolis-based TandemMade is taking the next big step: a new line of customizable products. “We’ve always wanted to create a furniture collection of our own design,” says Erin Moren, who founded TandemMade with her husband Nate Moren. In 2015, Erin received an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, “which put this goal at the top of our list,” she says.
“Furniture does fall into a strange category, as it’s both design and art,” Moren explains. “But because our work celebrates hand craftsmanship and the heart that goes into it, I consider it art. And now this grant is helping us bring our voice to our vision.”
TandemMade’s new line includes four pieces:
- Cast Credenza A slightly angled piece of walnut and laser-cut steel that can be ordered in custom sizes and heights.
- Tune Shelf An expandable metal shelf, with moveable shelving, that folds flat.
- Modoe Table The piece, originally created for Nate’s mom, can be built as a coffee, console or dining table. It melds “metal and wood, which we love to do in our furniture. The combination of hard and soft provides us with challenges we’re drawn to,” Moren says.
- Ace Chair What furniture line doesn’t have a chair? The first iteration of TandemMade’s new chair was inspired by one of its materials: solid steel bent into a hexagonal shape.
About the new line, Moren says, “We’ve refined the making of each item so we can produce multiples, even if they’re customized in dimension, color, or material, and still enjoy the process.” tandemmade.com
By Camille LeFevre
Photo courtesy of TandemMade