Osmo Maker Feature: Kyle Stahler, Camber Woodworking
At Camber Woodworking, furniture isn’t just built—it’s sculpted. Founded by a solo craftsman with a background in machining and mechanical engineering, Camber Woodworking blurs the line between functional furniture and sculptural art. Each piece is designed with intention, inspired by the organic curves of trees, the rolling landscapes of Washington’s Cascade Mountains, and the timeless influence of woodworking legends like Sam Maloof and George Nakashima.
Now based in Detroit, Camber Woodworking is known for hand-shaped curves, cambered profiles, and designs that play with light—creating furniture that appears delicate and airy while remaining strong and enduring. With every detail, from hand-chopped dovetails to carved drawer pulls, the work reflects a deep respect for both material and craft.
What do you specialize in?
I am a solo furniture maker specializing in designing and fabricating studio furniture intended to blur the line between sculptural art and functional pieces of furniture.
As a woodworker, where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from a few different places. Starting with people: Sam Maloof, Finn Juhl, Natsuki Ishitani, George Nakashima, and Shigeki Matsuoka.
I also get a ton of inspiration from where I grew up, the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state. Lots of gently rolling hills, dramatic mountains, and waterfalls.
I’m inspired by the shape of trees too. There’s no straight lines on trees, and so I’ve tried my best to pay homage to the material by designing and building furniture that utlizes curved legs and cambered profiles.
What are you the most excited about this year?
Tough question because so much has already happened! I think I’m most excited to start building things in a new environment. I’ve recently moved from Charlotte, NC to Detroit, MI. I think I will find a lot of inspiration here. Regarding building things- I’m SUPER excited to build another desk and chair set but this time in quarter sawn white oak! I’ve also got some more design ideas kicking around my head that I’m anticipating taking a crack at once my studio space is up and going!
Do you have any advice for someone looking to enter your field?
My advice would be to read read read and never stop learning!
We’ve asked you to share some of your favourite pieces that are finished with Osmo, can you tell us what makes them special to you?
What makes the pieces I’ve shared with you special is that they all share a common thread within their designs. They all follow basically the same rules. I’ve worked really hard to develop a collection that has continuity and I feel like it really shows. Everything has a special place in my heart!
As you mentioned, your designs share a common thread, making them feel like a cohesive body of work. Can you talk more about how you found your signature style?
I found my style by not constraining myself to standard case work and things with mostly straight lines, a router templates. Not that any of those things are bad. I just really like the idea of each piece being a hand shaped sculpture you can use everyday. I love curves and cambered profiles, playing with light, and fooling the eye into thinking things are wispy, when in reality, my pieces are very sturdy and built to last. In my casework, I really appreciate the look and feel of shaker-style boxes. So all of my drawer boxes pay homage to the shakers as they contain no hardware, or mechanical slides. Good old-fashioned wood-on-wood slides and hand chopped half blind dovetails.
I also like the idea of adding novel details to my pieces. On the desk commission, I figured out how to carve the drawer pull out of the drawer front material. It’s all one piece of wood!
I also really like building things that require a balanced usage of machines and hand tools. I come from a machinist/ mechanical engineering background, and enjoy integrating high precision joinery in all of my pieces. I’ve also really enjoyed learning how to use spoon bottom compass planes for shape the top of my backrests, and a bunch of old-timey chair-making tools for shaping my seats.
The Col Sideboard
What would you like to ask our audience?
Yes! What’s your favourite woodworking tool? I love tools—and I’d love to know what everyone else is using.
What is YOUR favourite wood working tool?
My set of chisels.
What is your favourite Osmo product?
What a tough question! I would have to say the Polyx®-Oil Raw 3051 is my favorite because the white pigment counteracts the yellowing of lighter woods like ash and white oak!
“My favourite product is the Osmo Polyx®-Oil 3051 Raw, the white pigment counteracts the yellowing of lighter woods like ash and white oak!“
– Kyle Stahler
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