Educated and trained as a fine furniture maker, Robert Seliger’s studio in Tumalo is a converted two-story horse barn with incredible sweeping views of the Cascades. He moved to Central Oregon in 1990 with his wife and, now full-grown, kids.

Originally raised in Aspen, Seliger’s drawings won national awards as a result of the very extensive arts program available to him in Colorado public schools. “I was fortunate in high school to work with the artist Christo on his Valley Curtain installation across Rifle Gap, which exposed art to me in a different perspective and application,” remembers Seliger.

From there, because he draws well, schooling as an architect was a breeze and taught Seliger scale and proportion, which cannot be understated in furniture design. “I became exposed to woodworking as an architecture student in college. A friend encouraged me to take a woodworking workshop with Sam Maloof, an American master woodworker and furniture designer, at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center. We hit it off and I ended up taking workshops over five summers. I had mostly one-on-one attention. It would have been so easy to copy his work. His message to me was to develop my own designs, techniques, and style; if my work is good, it will sell. It proved to be sound advice,” shares Seliger.

Today his original designs and creations are found worldwide—unique 3-dimensional furniture art that can be seen, touched and felt daily by his audience and clientele.

Blending the hand of a master craftsman and the heart and vision of an artist, Seliger feels this is a rare combination. “Typical furniture makers I know are great craftsmen without any artistic skills. I use traditional joinery techniques [no nails or screws] to construct each piece. I collaborate with my wife Kathy, also an artist on many of the paintings and finishes, and usually have an apprentice. This summer my granddaughter Lily is my apprentice, which is super exciting.” Seliger is enchanted to be sharing his passion with his granddaughter because artistry is in his family. His great uncle was Robert Elwell, a respected western artist. The thought that he has followed in his great uncle’s footsteps as a western artist, and now his granddaughter too, brings Seliger great joy. No one can predict what secrets a master artist like Seliger will impart to Lily.

Seliger loves to produce work in the Oregon high desert and feels it’s the perfect location for inspiration. In addition, the dry desert climate is a stable environment for his pieces to be birthed. A moister climate might be less friendly for woodworking. “All of my materials are sourced locally including wood, leather, iron accents, finishes and hardware,” notes Seliger.

His greatest inspirations flow to him through his dreams and visions, like for his critically acclaimed War Vest Sofa Table, which won first place at the Western Design Conference in 2015. “My work was thrust into the national spotlight as a result of the award. The design for my War Vest Cabinet came to me in a dream where an American Indian chief was going into battle with a beaded war vest on his chest.” The vest was seamlessly translated into the cabinet after first exploring this design on tables and desks, Seliger created this special cabinet—applying the vest motif to the drawer fronts and the cabinet sides for visual interest from multiple angles. The War Vest Cabinet is a tribute piece to a powerful vision and the history of the Wild West.

After witnessing the tracks from a sidewinder snake moving across a sand dune, he created a table design called “Sidewinder.” “I love flowing lines and curves. Curves are the centerpiece of 'Sidewinder.'”

Revealing what’s behind the curtain a bit more, Seliger states, “My designs can be my own interpretations of a western theme or more contemporary ideas [like the Riverine Chaise Noir], or I have Asian influence like my East Meets West Collection. My Altar Series depicts many of the mountain ranges in the west—Cascades, Tetons, Rockies, Sawtooth, Sierras and Bitterroot—with the energy flowing upwards from the earth.”

The Riverine Chaise Noir is a supple black Ferrari Italian leather repose rocking chair, which flows over curved organic shapes. The ebonized Eastern ash frame is covered in Indian rosewood veneer and enhanced with eight layers of hand-applied finishes. This piece, as are all his works, is signed and numbered by the artist. Note that all pieces are also handcrafted in the USA.

The Altar Series is embodied in the Singapore "Altar," which reflects the British Empire’s influence on an Eastern country. Unique drawer pulls and decorative hardware glow against the rich wood grain and multi-layered, hand-rubbed finish. Thanks to an assortment of doors and drawers, this piece can function as an elegant dresser in a bedroom suite or make a statement in an office or foyer.

Revealing more on his process, Seliger muses, “I am very observant, and I capture mental images of details I see all around me in nature, or on trips to the churches in Red Square in Moscow. The Malheur Canyon drive in Oregon on HWY 20 east of Juntura has stunning natural color combinations. I let these mental images reside in my mind and later explore them through a series of sketches. Upon completion of many of my pieces the original copyrighted drawings are signed, framed and gifted to the buyer or client.”

It might sound intimidating to commission your own furniture if you have never done it before. But working directly with an artisan woodworker has major advantages. Like, your piece isn’t mass-produced so there is a smaller carbon footprint; plus, you are giving resources to an artist rather than a conglomerate. Another benefit is artisan-made furniture has a higher level of craftsmanship and is made to last—the shelf life is measured in generations as opposed to just years. What’s more, a custom-designed furniture piece can tell a story, spark a little magic, and be an outstanding conversation piece. And importantly, custom, handcrafted furniture is made to fit your needs and desires for your home and space. It’s a bespoke piece that reflects your style in a way a mass-produced item could never rival.

Whether it’s an armchair, chaise, credenza, bed or barstools, commissioning a functional and useful work of art for your home is a creative process you want to take with Seliger—from the design phase and construction to finishing and final touches with exact details. Seliger confesses he has a deep emotional attachment to every piece that comes out of his workshop. ”There is definitely a part of my heart and soul in every piece of furniture I make.” From the initial sketches to the finished table, chair or desk, Seliger often labors hundreds of hours to take a client’s idea, add his own artistic interpretation and carefully craft a family heirloom.

Robert Seliger’s work can be seen up close and personal at Mockingbird Gallery in Downtown Bend and Art Focus Gallery in Hamilton, Montana.