Studio
My studio, shop, workplace, home away from home, call it what you will, it is the place where all visions become reality. A designer’s studio is a sacred place where they can let their ideas run wild and experiment with new materials, shapes, colors and textures without the critic’s opinion. It is where I find my peace in knowing it is my space to do as I please. I can make mistakes or accidental breakthroughs with no consequence and evolve each piece until minds content.
Artistic Statement
The simple forms of the world around me bring inspiration to me as a designer. In the summer of 2009 I took off six months to hike the west coast of the United States. From barren deserts to the majestic high Sierra, and the small all-American towns to eclectic urban San Francisco, it was the simplest shapes and forms as well as living a minimalist lifestyle, where I found new inspiration for my work.
I’ve come to the realization that life doesn’t need to be complicated nor does great design. Instead I strive to achieve better living through better design. Simple lines that stand the test of time and ergonomic, organic forms that combine aesthetic and comfort, while unconventional construction and raw beauty of materials present a true sense of freedom.
Woodworking and design is my profession, but more than that it is my passion. Nothing beats finishing a project and seeing something that started as a simple natural element become a part of an individual’s everyday life.
Biography
Jonathan Wagner is the principle and founder of Ten Gallon Hat Designs, an Austin, Texas-based woodworking studio specializing in high-end furniture, design and accessories.
Warm, rustic, urban and contemporary are a few words to describe his work. Ten Gallon Hat Designs, the name of his studio, is symbolic of the countless ideas Wagner has for his wooden creations. Furniture, belt buckles, optical frames, interior exterior focal points and wall treatments are just a few of handcrafted products and services that the company offers.
Wagner’s fascination with wood started when he was young boy and his mother noticed his interest in the craft. He would attempt to widdle weapons for his neighborhood army composed of “five-year-old patriots trying to protect a plethora of trees and underground forts,” as he recalls. Soon after the discovery, she scheduled weekly wood widdling lessons from a well-known wood artist in his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina.
His name was Frank Morrow. He was an older man in his late 70’s who lived in a rough area of town. He was a “regular” at Jonathan’s mother’s doughnut shop, where she worked each day. The young Wagner would go to Frank’s basement shop two or three times a week and learn basic carving and wood identification. He knew it was his passion when he couldn’t wait to end the the neighborhood fort battles for the next session with Frank to explore and learn new woodcraft techniques.
Today Wagner’s woodworking has branched off into many areas of the craft. In addition to carving optical frames and belt buckles, he has been building innovative furniture and creating inviting living spaces since realizing that wood and design was not only his medium of choice and talent, but his life passion.
“My work reflects who I am. I strive to seek out new ideas in every aspect of what I do without compromising the integrity of each piece,” he says. “I create things to be used in everyday applications and to me that means building pieces that evolve with the individuals who use them.”
Wagner works with a wide variety of woods. His buckles and optical frames are almost entirely exotic hardwood cutoff such as Cocobolo, Rosewood, African Wenge and Olive. His furniture varies as well but he prefers using reclaimed or recycled woods such as pallet hard woods like White and Red Oak, Birch, Knotty Pine and Pecan. These woods add another dimension to his work by giving the pieces “character and authenticity.”
A rewarding part of designing and building for Jonathan is the opportunity to choose how and who his work effects. He creates pieces that are not only aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound through green design but also health conscience. He achieves this through ergonomic designs and low VOC finishes.
“Everything is constantly changing and we must adapt and change in order to live a fulfilling yet sustainable lifestyle. My work directly reflects those adaptations. Not one item is exactly the same, although my designs conceptually may be similar, I constantly strive to create each piece better than the last. That is why I highly respect and value the beauty of hand craftsmanship. It is very rewarding to engage myself completely into every piece I design and build.”
The recycled shipping pallets Wagner uses vary in size and wood types, and he collects them from a variety of locations. “Different types of pallets are made of different woods depending on their original application and weight bearing purpose,” he states. He likes to collect from different locations because one place may have older more weathered white oak and another may have new knotty pine. After gathering his materials he takes them back to his shop and begins the labor-intensive process of carefully disassembling, removing nails, scanning for hidden nails and preparing each plank for fabrication. After preparing the wood, he goes to the drawing board and starts the design process which is inspired by his surroundings, the wood itself, and the story it tells. Most of his concepts start simple and evolve in the design process or even as he builds and creates.
J. B. Wagner was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania and moved to Shelby, North Carolina in 1985 where he worked in construction and renovation with his father in his teens. Wagner pursued his Design passions after high school and attended East Carolina University receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Architectural Design. Following his time at university, Jonathan furthered his design and woodworking education at Pendland School of Crafts located in the Beautiful and mysterious Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. After School, Wagner moved to Houston Texas to work for Numan Development, a real estate development company recently featured in Dwell magazine. There he focused on restoring and remodeling old Victorian houses and aided in the design of shipping container homes. Most recently, Jonathan hiked over 2000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail – an experience that laid the foundation for the designs he currently creates where “the simple things in life inspire him daily.”
The everyday world around him gives Jonathan the most inspiration, yet striving for innovation and perfection fuels his fire. With his company Ten Gallon Hat Designs, Jonathan is sure to make an impact on the design world at large, one handcrafted piece at a time.