Chris Cardy

Delia Furniture

Furniture maker

©Christopher Cardy

Inspiration and perspiration

Chris was born in the USA but now lives in Spain
He works with wood, steel, ceramics and glass
He specialises in making bed frames

Chris Cardy was born in a small lake town in Western Michigan, USA. When he was 22 and living in San Francisco, it was a place full of young people doing all kinds of things. In the early 1990s, pre-internet, there was no way for an artisan to sell their work outside of their community. “Several of us artisans grouped up, allowing all our marketing and distribution to be combined,” says Chris. “It worked spectacularly well.” In the 2000s he began to make handmade bed frames and his business thrived. “I had long wanted to open a second studio in Europe and decided the time was at hand.” Chris sold his house and in 2020 set up a new studio in Spain, in Navarra, where he now lives.

Interview

©Christopher Cardy

©Christopher Cardy

What motivates you?: I am highly motivated by fear. I fear that my work is not good, or that no one will ever buy it. This may not be the answer people want to hear, but I think it is important for young artisans to know that it is not wrong to harness negative emotions.
What does well made mean to you?: I cannot stand the idea that something I make is not done well. Well made and Artisan are two terms that must go together. It means skillful, quality, beautiful, and functional.
How would you define what you do?: I make things. Mostly furniture. I have a handful of small things: sanders, hand saws and a drill. I want to combine high quality, functionality, handmade, and an aesthetic that is simple.
What relationship does your job have with the land?: In the wine world there is the concept of terroir, which I love. My shop is big and it can be cold or very hot in there. This changes what I make. It changes the wood. The colours here in Spain are bright blue, almost cobalt, green and brown.

Chris Cardy is a master artisan: he began his career in 1995 and he started teaching in 2004