26 TREES AND COUNTING

Material first.

All of my work begins with the trees and wood being discarded in our local community.

Working with local resources does more than reduce environmental impact—it drives innovation and presents a unique opportunity to transform regional history and character into enduring, meaningful furniture.

Vertically integrated.

My workshop was developed with a vertically integrated structure, meaning it’s set up to handle every part of the furniture making process. From tree recovery, transportation, and drying, to furniture design, construction and delivery — it all happens here.

Dylan Arthur Howard was born 1994 in Winfield, Illinois. From an early age he developed a keen interest in natural dwellings. He climbed trees, dug holes, built snow forts, and eventually his very own tree house. He would go on to study architecture in high school and eventually sculpture and furniture design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Outside of school he held apprenticeships with artists and craftsman doing exceptional work with wood or trees, most notably, tree-shaping artist Gavin Munro, and traditional sign maker Tony Janda. After receiving his BFA in 2019, he freelanced custom furniture in the basement of his apartment, and in 2021 moved to Laguna Beach where he has worked tirelessly to develop a sustainable career as a furniture maker.