Featured Member: Diana Beltran Mejia

We caught up with Diana to hear more about her back­ground and inter­ests within the furniture field.

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

I am a designer based in North Carolina. I began my profes­sional studies in studio art and I trans­ferred to an indus­trial design program with a concen­tra­tion in furni­ture at Appalachian State Univer­sity. I made my first piece of furni­ture ​“Entre­Laza­dos,” a walnut coffee table, during my fresh­man year for a Mate­ri­als & Processes I course.

What inspires your work? Who are some of your inspi­ra­tions for furniture making?

I am greatly inspired by nature; I enjoy the explo­ration of biomimicry as well as mate­r­ial juxta­po­si­tion. Addi­tion­ally, I find inspi­ra­tion in design­ers and pioneers of Mexican modernism such as Clara Porset as well as the women of the Bauhaus. I find Gunta Stölzl’s use of color and geomet­ric shapes partic­u­larly beau­ti­ful.

What does being a member of The Furni­ture Society mean to you?

Being part of the furni­ture commu­nity has opened a lot of learn­ing and career oppor­tu­ni­ties for me. Specif­i­cally, being a member of The Furni­ture Society allows me to have a medium to show­case my work more inti­mately and learn about the work of my peers and other indus­try profes­sion­als.

Tell us about your preferred way of connect­ing with clients and customers.

My preferred way of connect­ing with clients is through Insta­gram (@dianabeltranmejia) where I sell my work.

Do you have a specific joinery tech­nique, favorite tool, or favorite wood that you like? Why?

I have worked with wood, metal, and textiles. I have primar­ily used walnut and ash wood due to their high contrast colors, grain patterns, and work­a­bil­ity. I would like to explore new mate­ri­als in the future, such as plywood and bioplastics.

Check out Diana’s profile page, port­fo­lio website, and follow her on Insta­gram.