Featured Member: Sam Shippee — Smallgoods Design Studio

Founded in 2014 by designer Brad Ford, Field + Supply reimag­ines the tradi­tional craft fair through a modern lens — featur­ing a curated mix of makers and studios that cele­brate crafts­man­ship, design, and mate­ri­als. The event, now held twice a year (spring and fall), has become a vibrant gath­er­ing for inde­pen­dent makers and design enthusiasts alike.

We caught up with Sam to hear about his expe­ri­ence prepar­ing for and partic­i­pat­ing in this year’s market.

1. Tell us a little about your­self — where you’re based and how you got started making furniture.

My name is Sam Shippee, I went to RISD as a sculp­ture major and my first job out of school (and virtu­ally every job since) was working in a wood­shop. When I was twenty-two I started collect­ing tools from Craigslist in my parents garage and doing work on my own. In 2022 I started Small Goods Design in Pine Plains NY which is a small table­ware and furni­ture design studio.

2. How would you describe your work and design aesthetic?

I like to think my work is best when it hovers between descrip­tions, when it’s hard to label it as mascu­line or femi­nine, serious or fun, beau­ti­ful or awkward. Although in general I like big shapes, I like things to look luxu­ri­ous, and I like bold color.

3. What drew you to partic­i­pate in Field + Supply?

It’s a great show! I’ve done it the last five years in one way or another and it’s always great to see what other people are up to, meet new customers and see how people respond to the new designs I bring.

4. What about the event feels like a good fit for small-batch furniture makers?

There’s a lot of indus­try profes­sion­als that come to the show; corpo­rate buyers, inte­rior design­ers, and store owners are all there walking around. It’s very good exposure.

5. How did you prepare for the market — both in terms of produc­tion and presentation?

I always design new pieces for the show, how many I FINISH really depends on how busy the months leading up to the show are in the shop (a few got left by the wayside this year unfor­tu­nately). I also try to fill any holes in my retail stock so I can give a full picture of what the Small Goods line actu­ally looks like.

6. How many pieces did you bring, and how did you decide what to show?

I think it’s impor­tant to have a mix of smaller items as well as furni­ture in the booth. I brought about five or six pieces of furni­ture and around a hundred smaller items. Your mileage may vary though obvi­ously, that’s just what made sense for the booth this year.

7. Describe your booth setup — what was your approach to show­cas­ing your work?

I think it’s really impor­tant to have hard walls in your booth if possi­ble, it helps you control and create more of a vibe where your prod­ucts look their best. I always pick a color I like and paint all my walls. I also think there’s a fine line between ​“chic display” and ​“furni­ture discount ware­house” in craft show booths which it’s impor­tant not to cross. Also, light­ing is really impor­tant, a single lamp makes a big difference!

8. Have you partic­i­pated in other markets before? How did this experience compare?

Yes, quite a few! This market won’t be right for every­one, but it’s really heavily traf­ficked by people who are inter­ested in design which not many others can say.

9. How was the response? Did you make sales or connect with new clients or collaborators?

Yes, sales are always good. Meeting new people, espe­cially if they’ve only seen your work online is always a treat!

10. What do you think made your booth or work stand out to attendees?

Hope­fully the wood­work­ing haha! But maybe it was my dog when he was on duty.

11. How do you approach pricing your work for events like this?

I have prices set from my busi­ness already, some­times I’ll find an excuse to give someone I like a little discount.

12. Who or what would you consider your ​“compe­ti­tion” at Field + Supply — or perhaps, your creative peers?

I don’t really think of wood­work­ers as compe­ti­tion. Wood shops are kind of like gas stations, when there are a lot on one corner they all do better because people think of it as ​“the place to get gas”.

13. Any advice for other furni­ture makers think­ing about partic­i­pat­ing in markets like this?

Bring smaller stuff at a lower price point if you make it. Only bring­ing five-figure furni­ture intim­i­dates people into not talking to you. I also like to bring at least two (comfort­able!) chairs so that people can sit down when they’re chat­ting with you.