Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Matt Coppersmith, and I am Coppersmith Customs. Even though my name is Coppersmith
I main medium is wood. I create Resin infused décor and Industrial design furniture.
What is the latest thing you have been working on?
I have been working on developing my signature style. Creating a small table with a live edge slab and a shapely metal leg.
What do your customers love most about your product(s)?
My custom furniture. These quirky pieces are one of a kind. I describe them as functional art. Whether it is a small desk made from a White Oak tree from the new 35W expansion in Minneapolis MN or a large conference room table made from the timbers of a 120-year-old shoe factory in Stillwater MN.
Have you always been passionate about art and design?
In some way or another I have always loved art and design. It took me until I was almost 40 to realize that though. I started out doing photography. I also have a photography business. Coppersmith photography. My wife and I started that business in 1999, and in 2015 I decided to try something different. Now my wife runs Coppersmith Photography creating content for companies’ social media and website content and I run Coppersmith Customs full time.
What is your favorite item that you sell?
My current favorite piece to sell would be my resin infused hybrid bandsaw boxes. Taking punky junk wood that usually ends up in the chipper and creating quirky pieces that truly sparkle.
What do you think sets your designs apart from others?
My style is the biggest thing that sets me apart from others. There are lots of artist that do work with resin or wood or metal. I take all these mediums and combine them. As much as I can I use lumber that I have milled myself. I do all of the metal pieces myself. This allows me to be fluid with my industrial design choices. Lastly I love giving these things a little flash of color or sparkle to give it that personalized touch.
What are some tips or suggestions you would like to offer to fellow makers?
To any fellow makers that would like to get into this business. Don’t worry about spending a lot of money on tools. Don’t get me wrong buying new tools is one of my favorite things but if you have a small space or no money. You can buy lots of old tools from garage sales. There are lots of places you can source scrap lumber or logs. Start small. If you have questions or need advice DM those people you see on Instagram doing the stuff you like. I am always open to chatting about making stuff.
www.coppersmithcustoms.com
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