Jonny West
Furniture Builder / Designer | Fort Worth, Texas, USA
The air was crisp and calm outside, with the slight scent of wood (and sparks) drifting inside the Fort Worth, Texas studio of Jonny West. No day is the same for him, yet there is a sense of routine in these skills that he has meticulously honed. His creativity was born through an unexpected path that began decades ago in a very different field.
Years prior, a day in his life was filled with appointments, playtime and the careful monitoring of his patients. Jonny was a caretaker at an acute care hospital and provided in-home care to physically disabled and special needs patients. There was a period of time where Jonny was in between assignments and that is when the trajectory of his career started to shift. He met his now employer during this interim and he was offered a position that would guide him into the direction of what he is doing now.
“I am a curious individual, by nature, and am always trying to continuously learn. At the beginning of my career, I bought a welder and some other tools and started messing around until it just clicked. Constantly inquisitive, I asked anyone who had knowledge of this topic and who had the time and patience to offer up an answer. I burned myself a lot and got a few lacerations along the way, but eventually started to feel more comfortable and honed my new craft until I felt good enough to sell it”, Jonny says. “I have a lot of pride in what I do. I want it to be perfect, but will settle for highly satisfactory since perfection is impossible. I want my pieces to be of such good caliber that I am proud to have them in use in my own home, each piece bearing my name, being proud about others knowing who made them.”
“I want it to be perfect, but will settle for highly satisfactory since perfection is impossible.”
This new found passion for wood and metal (though how long can you really call something new?), didn’t replace his initial interest. Instead, the two layer upon each other, allowing the characteristics of one to compliment the other. The attention to detail and the nurturing and care it takes throughout the process of building something new mimics the care and regard given to each patient throughout their journey.
What started thirteen years ago as quick deliveries of refinished antique pieces has snowballed into a months-long waitlist for custom welding, 15-foot-long tables (that delivery is going to be tricky), and the occasional request that involves natural stone. No matter the task, the level of precision and steady process for the task at hand doesn’t waver–something he likely refined during his previous role.
The projects come from near and far, with clients ranging from local residents adding a single piece to their home to a celebrity housewife who wants a custom, one-of-a-kind piece for herself and a second one for her runway daughter’s ranch house. True story. The piece was a couture showstopper in a world of fast, prêt-à-porter furniture. Okay, enough with the fashion puns, but they felt apropos in the moment. The spectrum of client requests is as broad as the talent that continues to cultivate such a following.
We were invited into the studio to watch him work on an existing metal project and a brand-new wooden piece that was next on the docket. It really is quite spectacular to see someone in their element, watching him navigate from corner to corner of the studio, sifting through the endless drawers of tools and rows upon rows of antique pieces of wood and metal. The space is a playground for someone with his talent, and play is what he gets to do each and every day.
He started planing and sanding a large piece of live edge butternut wood, making way for what will become a floating shelf. The meticulous back-and-forth movement is tedious but efficient, yielding something that more closely resembles the table with each and every swipe. This process filled the immediate area with the most subtle layer of sawdust, which slyly found its way into every crevice and crack on our equipment, cell phones, clothing, and, unfortunately, our noses and contact lenses. Don’t you fret about Jonny. What you don’t see in any photo are the micro-filter nostril pieces he inserts into his nose before starting to work. They are 3M and stop microscopic particles of sawdust from entering his nasal cavity.
Next on today’s agenda was some metalwork. The welding of two pieces of metal, which would soon become… well, we were sworn to secrecy—was impressive and daunting to watch. The sparks were blinding, offering a visually stimulating exhibition that added even more pomp to the circumstance.
His love for metalwork came after his interest in working with wood, yet the metalwork offers a more carefree environment to experiment with different techniques, allowing for creativity, play, and room for error. Which he prefers now… he refused to answer, but I think I may have a hunch.
Photography: Dimensions Visuals