John Barfield

John Barfield has worked many years as a furni­ture conser­va­tor, caring for the furni­ture and wooden art collec­tions of the Saint Louis Museum of Art, Missouri History Museum, Toledo Museum of Art, and other insti­tu­tions in the Midwest region.

Hands-on expe­ri­ence with impor­tant histor­i­cal and contem­po­rary furni­ture in museum collec­tions has given him a unique perspec­tive and appre­ci­a­tion of good design and sound, lasting, craftsmanship.

Now working in Toledo as a designer / maker of studio furni­ture, he is apply­ing those skills and insights to his own work, with an empha­sis on elemen­tal design and honesty of construc­tion. Native, solid hard­woods and highly crafted hand joinery are primary features of his work.

Each piece is an orig­i­nal design made by John, keeping output small, but ensur­ing consis­tent high quality.