Andy Messenger is a designer/maker of singular furniture for the interior design industry. His compelling work, firmly rooted in the British Arts and Crafts tradition, draws on French Modernism, Art Deco, and Minimalism, with Japanese and American Crafts elements, using skills honed over three decades. The result is an artful blend of noble materials, finishes, colors and textures, often in unexpected combinations, that may reference history but remain thoroughly contemporary. Messenger has done work for a cross section of high-profile interior designers, decorators and architects, as well as private collectors. His work is appreciated by aficionados of inspiring design, and has graced fine homes from coast to coast, including the White House residence. He strives to create furniture that will have a beauty all its own, yet coexist comfortably in a room with modern pieces, art, and antiques.
Background
Following his studies in fine arts at Bennington College, Andy Messenger graduated in 1983 from Leeds Design Workshops in Massachusetts, considered the finest American furniture making school of its day. The traditional teaching methods at Leeds involved months of hand tool use exclusively, with projects taken from rough timber to finished furniture without the use of any power tools. The rigorous instruction Messenger received in time-honored woodworking techniques was followed by decades as a journeyman -- a training he regards as second to none -- during which he punched the clock in countless small workrooms, antique restoration shops, and cabinetry and furniture factories in New York, New England and San Francisco. The day-to-day pressure of turning out top quality furniture under tight deadlines was invaluable, and frequently, in that environment, new fabrication solutions would be invented to meet the demands of a project. Messenger concluded the journeyman phase of his career as the foreman of a busy design/build atelier in NYC, supervising the work of 8 benchmen while collaborating with upholsterers, metalworkers, gilders and finishers, and shipping out finished furniture on a daily basis. Armed with a wealth of skills and knowledge that can only be acquired by years of hard work and a variety of experiences in real world situations, Messenger launched his own custom furniture firm in Southern California in 2012. His Eggshell Collection furniture line made its debut in 2017. He continues to serve the Los Angeles and New York interior design markets, which in turn ship his furniture all over the country.