Brooke, from the home décor blog Inside-Out Design, started with this run-of-the-mill old coffee table, and with some ingenuity and a lot of handiwork, she and her husband transformed it into a one-of-a-kind hand-tufted ottoman. More

Like many of the Meet the Maker participants, Pete Duncan developed an interest in his career at a young age. Although he studied Fine Arts at Alfred University, it was the time spent in his father's woodshop as a kid that taught him the most about woodworking. He would later turn those skills into a career, designing and building furniture under the name The Wood Studio. More

For years IKEA's EXPEDIT has been a ubiquitous storage solution for homes everywhere. But recently the Swedish furnishing giant's VITTSJÖ has been showing up more and more on my design radar. It doesn't scream IKEA, and you'd never guess the system starts as low as $40. The black metal and glass shelving system has a nice industrial quality on its own, but it seems to really shine when it's given a bright coat of paint. Here are five really great examples of VITTSJÖ's potential. More

The man who practically coined the phrase Generation X with his 1991 novel of the same name is now turning his attentions toward furniture design. Douglas Coupland, in a collaboration with SwitzerCultCreative, has designed four colorful pieces with a modern Asian influence. More

Some of these are a little odd in their abstract ways, but they are also very sweet. Don't be surprised if your kids (ahem, you) start to develop an emotional connection to your furniture.
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One of the most interesting things about interviewing makers is learning how the folks who create some of our favorite products got started. Take Andy Johnson, the man behind Ample and today's featured maker. Although he studied mechanical engineering at Princeton, he's a self taught furniture designer and woodworker who is inspired by functional problems around the home. More

You may recognize the piece shown above. It's called The Butler and it has appeared here on Apartment Therapy many times over the years, as we are fans of its modern design and organic aesthetic. The Butler's designer, Curtis Micklish, recently sat down to chat about his history, inspirations and advice in our Meet the Maker series.

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Name: Rosa Beltran, Interior Designer
Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, CA
Size: 1 room office/ converted from a garage
Years lived in: 3 years

Once in a while I'll shoot a space and become so enamored of it that I want to just hang out. Like, forever. This happened when I recently shot Rosa Beltran's office. She's a super talented Interior Designer/Decorator so she's got a one up on most of us. Not only is she naturally skilled in piecing together a space to make it functional and savvy but she's pretty crafty and gives great DIY charm to any project she tackles.

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Last week I posted about Joy Cho's photo album of her daughter Ruby's first year. Today I'm sharing another project that captures memories in a completely different way. Click to see how this chair was transformed into a cherished memorial to family.
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When the makers behind Cheme Designs went to find a water table for their own boys in 2003, they just couldn't find anything they liked. An idea was planted, and a table of their own creation was born — and then eight years later, their own line of kids' furniture (that happens to be both environmentally and style friendly!) followed. More