Thomas Schmitter

Cabinetmaker

©Thomas Schmitter

Timeless wooden interiors

Thomas switched from studying philosophy to cabinetmaking
He creates high quality works of timeless simplicity
He feels wood treated in the right way ages beautifully

It was on a cold winter's day in January 1975 when a young philosophy student went on a hike in the snow-covered Chiemgau. On his way, Thomas Schmitter was invited to have a rest in an old farmhouse, where he was quickly entranced not only by his hosts but by the wooden panelling and furniture in the living room. "It was simple and yet absolutely fascinating work," he says. "Its truthfulness seemed to lie precisely in its timeless simplicity, its natural proportions and in the material itself.” In that moment he realised he wanted to create such things himself. A few days later Thomas applied to the technical school for carpenters and wood sculptors in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Interview

©Thomas Schmitter

©Thomas Schmitter

Did you have the chance to learn from a master?: In my teacher Günther Gräf, I actually found a master in the classical sense. His knowledge of the art of cabinetmaking, his love for his work, as well as the authenticity and joy with which he imparted it, deeply impressed and affected me.
What is your understanding of sustainability?: To combine craftsmanship with intelligent, simple design and a durable material. Objects that have these qualities do not typically devalue due to wear and tear like many other products of daily use. Traces of life shape the surface of the wood and convey memory and history.
Timeless heirlooms, therefore?: Exactly. This is how modern heirlooms are created, which are qualitatively stable in value and which generate a multiple of their objective value in the collective emotional memory.
Where do you find inspiration?: From everything that surrounds me and how it resonates with me. The need to put things in order so that they attract as little attention as possible. Or in the words of Albert Einstein, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler”.

Thomas Schmitter is a master artisan: he began his career in 1975 and he started teaching in 1989