Mitch n' Max Design is a tiny furniture studio tucked in among the fields and vinyards of Sonoma County, California.
Our first product is the Spider Chair, which is an offbeat but elegant occasional chair. We are really me, Steve Cornell, designer and fabricator of Mitch n' Max's line. The name is just a scramble up of the term " mix n' match"... clever, no?
My background is both arts and crafts; I studied fine art at the Boston Museum School and at Cal Berkeley. I apprenticed as a furniture and cabinet maker at Ohio Design, Charles Shackleton, DK design and Kraft Furniture. Despite all that Sunday learning, so to speak, I find the artist side of me won't let go, and as a result, my creative process tends to be more hands on than many designers who work things out fully on paper or screen before cutting wood or fabric. I find that a more physical approach opens the door to happy accidents (and, yes, failures too!).
My design philosophy is summed up in the mix and match credo, so I guess that makes it post modern, rather than strictly modern. While my pieces would look great in a designer loft, they'd be equally at home in a Vermont farmhouse (one of them did for several years, without any raised eyebrows...)
As my source page shows, I try hard to get my materials from responsible eco friendly sources as much as possible. I'm really interested in reclaimed sources as well, though I don't really work in the "reclaimed chic" style per se.
My art school training also affects the way I approach the finished look of a piece. Just as painters often let their brush strokes show, I like to leave clues that a human created my furniture by hand. I don't try to remove every trace of the process; things like the mark of a hand plane, or the not quite exact placement of the upholstery tacks help give a piece warmth up close, while still looking cool and elegant from further away.
I hope you enjoy my furniture, and would love to hear from you!
