We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jack Watson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jack below.

Alright, Jack thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

My first role out of university (Industrial Design), was a furniture design internship at a manufacturer in London. I immediately felt like an imposter, engineering pieces and handing over drawings to the manufacturing teams, with little regard to how these pieces were actually going to be made. It was after about the 27th time I got laughed out of the workshop that I decided to start buying tools and making things myself, to gain some more practical experience. Over the next ten years, I worked as a design engineer at a number of different manufacturers, keeping a close eye on how things were being made, all while building up my arsenal of tools and machines at home. Eventually, I got to the point where the quality of my work was up to par with the companies i’d worked for, so I started my own business.

Woodworking is one of those skills that you can only improve on by making ALOT of mistakes and learning from each one and wood is one of those subjects where the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know. If I had a second chance, I’d be more ambitious with the projects I took on in my garage. The biggest obstacle is definitely the cost of the essential tools and machines and then having somewhere to put them.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m an Australian/American furniture designer and maker, working out of South Central, LA. I’ve been fortunate enough to work for some amazing furniture manufacturers across London, New York and LA, focusing on wood, metal and upholstered pieces. The invaluable experience I had at those companies means there aren’t a whole lot of pieces that get thrown my way that I can’t figure out how to make, whether by myself or by one of my vendors.

My experience as a designer and engineer (furniture engineer, no complex math going on here), allows me to interpret and visualize pieces for clients pretty darn quickly. I typically try to provide as many ideations as possible, via 3D models, so my clients are presented with a range of realistic options to choose from. Being a one ban band also lets me be in control of every aspect of each project, i.e. design, material selection, fabrication, finishing, install etc…

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Some pieces will have taken months to develop and fabricate, so seeing them come to fruition is always so exciting. Wherever possible, i’ll deliver pieces myself just to see them in place. I work for some amazing interior designers, so my pieces are always in great company, which is always so rewarding to see.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

It took me some time to realize that the people closest to me were a resource I should have tapped into a long time ago. Its so easy to let your ego block everything out, from design input to business direction. I might regret saying this, but my wife usually calls the best shots.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jackwatson.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack.watson.furniture/

Image Credits
All personal photos