Jacob Dörpfeld
I specialize in designing and making hand-crafted wood furniture including tables, benches, chairs and bookcases for consumers, boutique hotels, restaurants and other small businesses.
I hand make these pieces in my wood-working shop in Medina, New York, half way between Rochester, N.Y. and Buffalo, N.Y., and sell them to customers across the United States.
Launching My Furniture Making Business
Founding this company was not an easy decision nor a life-long dream. While I remember using my first jig saw when I was eight and making all sorts of contraptions in my dad’s wood shop, I also knew making a living as a solo entrepreneur wouldn’t be easy.
I knew I wanted to work with my hands, but for a large corporation, so I pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology. I minored in Art History and joined the Army ROTC program.
During college, I was a member of a 3-person team that took 1st Place at the 2008 National Skills Competition USA in the Automated Manufacturing Technology category where we were graded on our use of CAD software and CNC use. I was the Runner-up in Metaproject 2002 competition in collaboration with Corning Glass, where I fused wine glasses into a Hord’ oeuvres plate.
After graduation, I became an officer in the U.S. Army where I achieved the rank of Captain and managed a 700-member logistical equipment and maintenance team with a $1.6 million budget. I retired to civilian life hoping to work as an industrial design engineer at a Rochester, N.Y. furniture maker.
I quickly learned what I really wanted to do was to design my own furniture. I designed a Danish Modern style bench that proved popular with more than 400 customers around the country.
In addition to making custom furniture such tables, chests, and dressers, I have also designed and installed custom closet cabinetry, library bookshelves and wet bars and have helped companies reproduce or fix elaborate molding, among other projects.
My designs and furniture typically include mortise and tenon joinery and other traditional joints, and I enjoy collaborating with consumers on custom furniture as well as working with designers on commercial hospitality and restaurant projects.
In Between Times
When not making furniture, I love spending time with my wife and children, renovating our home, tending my large vegetable garden, and harvesting timber I’ll use to rebuild my barn.
Email me at jacob.dorpfeld@gmail.com to schedule a call to chat about your hand-crafted furniture needs.