Cavu Design is a manifestation of two distinct disciplines—Furniture Making and Fine Art Wood Manrquetry.

 

After thirty-plus years in Graphic design and Advertising, I began Cavu in 2000 in Austin, Texas. I was searching for - but not finding - a bedroom dresser that met my demand for quality of materials, construction, and style. Everything I saw was made of inferior laminates with poor construction... and it was expensive! I wanted a piece that I could hand down for generations, that was made the way furniture used to be made—a piece that was so beautiful that just walking into the room with it would make me happy. That’s what art does for the soul - it takes you out of yourself.

 

It was time for a career change! During my apprenticeship with Master Furniture Makers in Wimberley, Texas, I met Master Marquetry Artist Spider Johnson of Mason, TX. Spider agreed to teach me, and I picked it up so quickly and so well that we soon became business partners under the name 3 of Hearts, creating both commissioned and Public Art pieces, which included integrated pieces of furniture with wood marquetry. 

 

Every piece of furniture is hand-built of solid hardwoods using traditional joinery and construction. All Marquetry pieces are created with thin natural and dyed wood veneers. Additional materials such as metal, custom glass, leathers, fabrics and custom fine art may be integrated to reflect the client’s unique preferences as well as the space the piece will live in.

 

I am now venturing out on my own, focusing on a rare French marquetry technique called “Transparence”, which was developed by the artist Georges Vriz, and taught to me by French artist Yves Gauthey. This exciting technique provides a much more painterly effect compared to traditional marquetry. ​