Form and Function

Lee Weitzman found his passion for creative woodworking early on and hasn’t looked back since. “It was after completing my first undergraduate degree at Western Michigan University in sociology that I discovered that working with wood and designing things was my true calling,” says Lee. “I was immediately fascinated and inspired to pursue designing and making things.” Lee went on to earn another degree in industrial arts, then went to graduate school at the University of Illinois-Chicago to study sculpture.

That passion has since exploded into a highly successful furniture-making business that allows Lee to explore every aspect of furniture design and production and to create pieces that are not only functional but are indeed striking works of art. “Designing furniture is pretty much the same as creating sculpture,” he explains, “but with a few more parameters. I always try to create a fresh interpretation within the pieces I design, sometimes adding an element of surprise, such as designing the door or drawer pulls in a way that requires ‘discovering’ how it opens because it isn’t immediately apparent. The viewer must interact with the piece until the mystery is solved. Unexpected touches make the piece special and set it apart from other furniture.”

Although Lee began his career working as a designer craftsman in his own shop, his main role has evolved into the designing of his pieces. “Working in the shop is no longer the best use of my time,” he says, “but my experience and skill as a maker is critical to the way I design and continues to inform me as a designer.” Lee works closely with a highly skilled group of small furniture makers, providing them with very specific production drawings and monitoring production by visiting these makers’ shops on a regular basis. However, if he is not satisfied with communicating to his makers via drawings, Lee dons a shop apron, picks up the tools, and gets to work making a prototype to be copied once he has it just so. This happens more often with his seating designs because of the high degree of difficulty in designing chairs. “Just recently,” he says, “I designed and built a collection of bar stools myself. I just needed to have the wood in my hands and work it into the shapes that were right,” says Lee. “The drawings were not enough to make sure the design was perfect before it went to the factory to reproduce. The process required several tests and prototypes, because the stools needed to look great, but they had to feel right when sat upon.”

With an educational background in both the industrial arts and sculpture, Lee fashions each furniture piece with an eye for its beauty, as well as its functionality. “To me, designing furniture is blending the knowledge of craft and the restraints of function with the intuitive sense an artist uses making art. I combine materials with shapes to create individual pieces of furniture that people will notice and contemplate — and take pleasure in using,” says Lee.

Lee also teaches furniture design and furniture making at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. “Teaching is an excellent activity to keep me sharp as a designer,” says Lee. “Working with students is rewarding, fun, and keeps me fresh with new challenges and ways of thinking.” Lee also makes daily visits to the shops that produce his designs to see how things are going. “Being close to the action, ensures that my design visions are translating correctly from paper to production,” he says.

Does Lee have a favorite piece of furniture that he has designed? “Can you pick a favorite among your children?” he quips. “No, I don’t have a favorite piece. As an artist and designer, I think it’s embedded in me that you’re really only as good as your latest piece. I’m most excited about what I’m working on at that particular moment. When I’m finished with a piece, I move on to the next one and try to make it even better than the last. I enjoy building on what I’ve learned to get beyond where I am to where I want to be. I’m always looking ahead.”