Posted on Mon, Oct 03, 2011
Traditional Thos. Moser - naturally.
In 1972, we made the decision to follow our hearts and fully commit ourselves to cabinetmaking. We also made a few simple promises. We would produce furniture that was both purposeful and elegant in its simplicity. Our furniture would celebrate the fine hardwoods we had grown to admire, both for their workability and their intrinsic beauty. Lastly, we would pursue our passion for the methods and styles of historical periods we had long admired - absorbing their wisdom to augment our own. With those promises, we knew we could produce furniture that would serve generations to come, confident that true craftsmanship would always transcend the whim of trends - and endure countless decades of regular use. Now, forty years later, that tradition continues with the introduction of our newest offering: Ellipse - a collection which aligns naturally with the enduring values that have allowed us to grow and thrive. A truly collaborative design between father and son, Ellipse is a creative response to many of the social and economic issues that defined the middle of the last century. In Ellipse, you'll discover the manifestation of our core beliefs: a desire to use precious materials efficiently, a hunger for a return to the fundamental, a modernist's trust that a focus on the functional can be a route to profound beauty, and a belief that good design is a powerful tool to help us reimagine a bold new world - in the simplest possible terms. We have always been students of simplicity - and simplicity is the very essence of Ellipse. Using distinctive design elements like through tenons, exposed end grains, gentle elliptical forms and space-efficient profiles, Ellipse is the purest, most elemental line we have ever designed. And at Thos. Moser, elemental means beauty. Economy of form. And the uncompromising craftsmanship ever synonymous with our name.
For more information:
visit us online, stop by your nearest showroom, or call (800) 862-1973.
Posted on Thu, Sep 01, 2011
As our next group of Customer-In-Residence participants prepare for their visit in a couple weeks, we had Dawn Klingensmith (Left, who participated with her fiance Jeff, far Right) to write a quick guest blog regarding her experience.
As a gift to my fiancé, Jeff, I signed us up for Thos. Moser’s Customer in Residence program with plans to build our dining room table together as couple. Jeff enjoys woodworking and is good at it. I, on the other hand, had never even built anything out of Popsicle sticks.
I am not the first novice to sign up for the program. But I think it’s fair to say that most participants have a passion for woodworking and experience using power tools. And most leave with a deeper passion and perhaps even plans to come back. I left with neither, but it was an enriching experience all the same.
Besides the cherry wood table we made, I left with something just as solid yet intangible. All the participants did. As the week progressed and everyone’s projects started coming together, we witnessed a shared commitment to excellence among Thos. Moser employees that you don’t find in most workplaces. At the signing ceremony, attended by all the cabinetmakers, each of us “graduates” had an opportunity to speak about our experience. One after another, all six of us talked about how impressed we were by the standard of excellence shared and upheld by each and every worker at Thos. Moser.
Knowing I’m a writer, instructor Dick Guite told me every piece of wood tells a story. I’m not sure I’ll ever share his love of wood or see poetry in its grain. But I will always remember the moment we bonded over a shared appreciation of artwork and the act of creating. If you own Thos. Moser furniture, then you know that the cabinetmakers sign their work. Dick told me the act of signing is a source of both pride and responsibility. As a writer whose byline is on most things I write, I knew what he was saying.
With their unwavering commitment to excellence, Dick and the other cabinetmakers helped me understand that to live is to build. And if you’re going to build something, build it to last. This is true of furniture, stories, relationships, reputations and even guest blog posts — whether your name is actually on it or not.
To view Dawn and Jeff's CIR ceremony speech, CLICK HERE.
Dawn also wrote an article for the Chicago Tribune about the Thos. Moser CIR program, to read that CLICK HERE.
Posted on Thu, Jul 21, 2011
Our Drift Summer Tour made it's third stop, this time at our DC Showroom! As with previous events, a lot of fun was had, good food was consumed, stories were shared, and we certainly couldn't have done any of it without your participation.
If you weren't able to make it to last night's event, then feel free to swing by the showroom and see the new Drift Chair for yourself. (You can even get in on some of the prizes by participating in our online Drift Summer Photo Contest, click here for more details).
There are still several stops left:
Thos. Moser New York Showroom on Thursday, July 21
Thos. Moser Los Angeles Showroom on Tuesday, July 26
Thos. Moser San Francisco Showroom on Thursday, July 28
Posted on Mon, Jul 18, 2011
In celebration of our newest lounge chair, Drift, show us how you relax this summer and enter to win 1 of 2 Maine summer totes (thanks to Sea Bags) filled with some goodies (from our friends at Down East Magazine).
Simply post a photo on our Facebook wall that depecits how you like to relax during the summer - make sure to include #DRIFT in the caption - then get your friends to like your photo!!
Posted on Wed, Jul 13, 2011
The Drift Summer Tour 2011 got off to a great start last night at our Freeport Showroom. It is always great to get together with friends old and new, and the mood last was festive and our new Drift Chair was the center of attention. Thanks to everyone who came out, and we hope to see even more of you as the Drift Summer Tour 2011 continutes from coast-to-coast in the coming weeks!
Next stops...
Thos. Moser Boston Showroom on Thursday, July 14
Thos. Moser Washington, DC Showroom on Tuesday, July 19
Thos. Moser New York Showroom on Thursday, July 21
Thos. Moser Los Angeles Showroom on Tuesday, July 26
Thos. Moser San Francisco on Thursday, July 28
Here are some photos from the first tour stop Freeport, many more have been posted on our Facebook page...
Posted on Fri, Jun 17, 2011
(Front to Back: New Gloucester Rocker, Edo Rocker, and Pasadena Rocker)
You might accuse us of being opportunists when we tell you our rockers are 15% off while in the same post reminding you to celebrate your dad on Father’s Day this weekend! Can we help it if our beautiful rocking chairs make treasured heirlooms, which—just so happens—means they are an admirable gift?
Our New Gloucester Rocker, which has been featured on “This Old House,” is named after the village in which we had our first shop—not far from the last remaining Shake Community at Sabbathday Lake, which served as Tom’s inspiration for many of his designs. This homage to the spare, graceful design found there will bring a place of serenity to your home. Ideally spaced to envelope the back in comfort, the ash spindles are joined to the back crest and sculpted cherry seat with wedged tenons, fitted at precise angles to allow both adequate flex and deceptive strength.
Whereas the New Gloucester Rocker is for the tried-and-true traditionalist, our Edo Rocker has a youthful spirit that exudes both vitality and simplicity. Inspired when David Moser had his first child, this stylish interpretation of the classic wooden rocking chair will rest like a gem in interiors from tradition and transitional to Mid-Century Modern and clearly contemporary. Leave it to David to be inspired by fatherhood, as he’s always reaching deep into his creativity when he’s designing. We’ll use that as our opportunity to say Happy Father’s Day to all of your dads out there. And don’t forget, our rockers are on sale through June 30!
Posted on Wed, Jun 15, 2011
Thanks to all who turned out for our Boston Showroom's event benefitting the MSPCA (Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
A special thanks to event partners, Polka Dog Bakery and The Fish and Bone, who provided lots of goodies for guests and their four-legged friends.
Be sure to visit our website to learn more about the events happening in your local showroom this summer!
Posted on Tue, May 31, 2011
If you’ve never left your heart in San Francisco, now’s your chance! Works from artist
Wendy Schwartz are on display in the
Thos. Moser San Fran showroom and we predict you’ll fall in love with her winsome compositions. We’re so convinced we’re having
an artist reception on June 2nd from 4 until 7 p.m. to celebrate the works of the talented painter, which will be on view through June 19th. If you’re in town, please stop in for a peaceful pause, an unavoidable circumstance of seeing the artist’s serene compositions.
Schwartz lives and paints on the edge of Tomales Bay, her studio sandwiched between its tidal marsh and the road. Most of her oil paintings are western landscapes, which sometimes include structures. The palette is mostly subdued, vivid colors are used sparingly. The artist received her BFA from Boston University, and has exhibited primarily in the wider San Francisco Bay Area, including the
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Artists Gallery and the
Bolinas Museum. Her work is in collections throughout United States, Canada, and Europe.
Shown Above: Black Mountain and Wetlands, by Wendy Schwartz.
Posted on Fri, May 27, 2011
WHAT: Tom Moser appears as featured guest on "CEO Corner" on NECN
WHEN: Sunday, May 29 at 8:30pm
Tune into "CEO Corner" on New England Cable News (NECN) this Sunday evening at 8:30 to watch our founder Tom Moser talk about his experiences in founding Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers and some of the business lessons he has learned along the way.
Anyone who has ever met Tom knows that he has a charasmatic mix of charming and New England "gruff". And he was certinaly on his game during the show's taping earlier this week. Host Peter Howe did a great job in guiding the conversation through the many facets of Tom's illustrious and ongoing tenure as one of the world's leading "hands-on" experts in fine furniture design and craftsmanship.
Here is a sampling of some of the topics that will be covered in the half hour show...
- How Tom and his wife (and business partner) Mary started the company and what were some of the early struggles
- The focus/sacrifice that is required to start and maintain a business like Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers
- How our trademarked signature piece, the Thos. Moser Continuous Arm Chair, is symbolic of the company and it values/aesthetic
- What the company has done to weather the economic downturn of the last few years, and why keeping the extended Thos. Moser "family", i.e. the craftsmen and women and other employees of the company, intact is as important to him as the product
- How Thos. Moser has lasted for nearly 40 years in a mass market world by making things of permanence that can be passed down from generation to generation
Check you local cable/satellite provider channel listings and be sure to tune in or set your DVR to NECN on Sunday evening at 8:30. For those who may not have NECN in their lineup, check back next week and we'll post a link to the video once NECN posts it on their website.
As a preview, here are some photos from the taping...
Posted on Thu, May 26, 2011
May is the month we are offering our case pieces at 15% off. This includes dressers, sideboards, credenzas and bookcases: all the
nooks and crannies you need to make sure life’s treasures (and flotsam and jetsam) are tucked neatly away! Two of our lines that include dreamy dressers are American Bungalow and Edo.
The
American Bungalow Tall Dresser is one of our standouts. A study in flexibility, this adaptable dresser uses design elements from the first pieces of our signature Bungalow Collection. A solid cherry case is suspended from the table-like top and houses storage elements that can be configured in various patterns. The doors can be moved to the top or bottom, or you can choose all drawers. The case is braced at the bottom by a steel elbow and will not rock when drawers are pulled in and out. The traditional handles are imported directly from Japan.
Our E
do Nine-drawer Dresser is perfect for the minimalist at heart. Without adding fussiness or unnecessary ornamentation, nine large drawers fill the same basic case as the Edo Open Sideboard, lending truth to the notion that great things can be made from simple beginnings. The grain-matched surface stretches over five feet in length, more than enough room to display your collections without overtly commandeering your space. Simple walnut drawer pulls and traditional studio casework construction make this a legacy piece.
Stop in one of our showrooms to see these beauties for yourself if you’re near enough. If not you can see them on our website by clicking
here.