David Lunin in his furniture workshop surrounded by hand tools.
A designer and builder of 18th Century reproduction furniture, as well as surreal adaptations of traditional furniture, David J. Lunin recently opened Evolve Furniture Studio in Beaufort, South Carolina. His previous furniture studio, which opened in 2000, was located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
“Whatever I create, it is done with the same level of care and craftsmanship employed by Colonial furniture makers,” said Lunin. “All my pieces are built with traditional joinery like hand-cut dovetails, and mortise and tenon joints. I also prefer the use of traditional finishing material, such as shellac and varnish.”
Lunin will hold an open house from 5-8 pm on Friday, August 6th at Evolve Furniture Studio. His unique space is located at 1010 Middleton Street off Depot Road near the Spanish Moss Trail. Follow the gravel road between two metal buildings and through the gate. Parking is next to the loading dock.
With a career that has evolved over three decades, Lunin’s expertise also includes restoring antiques — a process which includes precision woodworking, color matching, and a deep knowledge of colonial American design.
Lunin is best known for his eye to detail and a unique talent for woodturning, a craft that uses a wood lathe with hand-held tools to cut a shape that is symmetrical around the axis of rotation. In the 18th Century, furniture makers specialized as joiners, carvers, gilders, turners or finishers. Today, high-end furniture makers do it all — and Lunin is setting the standard for the highest quality craftsmanship.
Visitors to the studio will see Lunin’s workspace, a showroom filled with original designs, and his DaVinci-inspired wood lathe. The DaVinci lathe is an unusual confluence of art and engineering.
Evolve Furniture Studio in Beaufort, S.C., specializes in antique furniture restoration and reproductions, as well as furniture design and construction. His studio is open by appointment only. For more information, visit evolvefurniturestudio.com.
