House Beautiful

January 2006

"Passions: Artisans"

Robert Martin found his way into furniture making after earning a degree in painting from Tulane University in New Orleans. One of his trademarks is "book matched" surfaces, a process in which he pairs long slabs of wood, sliced horizontally from the same trunk, and binds them together side by side like consecutive pages in a book. Martin's work falls into two fairly distinct realms. He makes exquisitely pared-down tables, benches, desks and bookstands from uncommon woods like mesquite or tiger maple (often maintaining the wood's original bark layer for the piece's edge), as well as a unique line of garden furniture made out of laminate-bent mahogany. This process involves taking thin strips of mahogany and adhering them together with boat builder's glue. Pressed into molds, these swooping shapes become the base for curvilinear chairs that don't need glued joints -- what Martin calls "the Achilles heel of outdoor furniture" -- between their seat and legs.

Caption:
Working in his sun-filled factory space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Robert Martin inspects his stackable garden armchair for flaws. Below: Standing on his expandable dining table is an assortment of mahogany chairs; in the foreground is an adjustable lounge and ottoman, one of Martin's most successful designs. Bottom: A closer look at the expandable table, which comes with two leaves.