Product + Pattern: Scott McGlasson

Photography by David Ellis

We met Scott McGlasson of Woodsport at a trade show when we were first starting out—his booth was across from ours—where he so generously showed us the ropes, including the all important post-show celebratory shot of nice whiskey. We were drawn in by his stunning pieces, crafted with a mastery the likes of which we had never seen before and haven't seen since—and we loved that he, too, had a connection to Minnesota. We instantly clicked.

Photography by Eric Mueller

A Woodsport credenza made from walnut and black lacquered ash pairs beautifully with Serpentine (Butterscotch)

When it came time to style our recent photo shoot for our new PATCH NYC collection, we immediately thought of the the jaw-dropping work we'd seen from Woodsport and the wonderful artist behind it. Scott's unrivaled talent, meticulous handiwork, and flawless design eye comes through in every curve, grain, and cut of his pieces, whether it's a commanding credenza or sculptural mirror. His pieces brought something undeniably special to our shoot, as we know they do to every home in which they end up.

Tell us about the product and pattern pairing you've created.

I matched Arcade in Celadon with a Woodsport Magnum Lamp in white and walnut. I love this pattern’s strong geometric presence, but it’s softened by its hand-drawn quality and the round Pacman shapes. A lot of my furniture is similar in that it has a strong, simple form but it is softened by something—color or texture. The Magnum Lamp is a large cylinder softened by a radial top and the textured grooves give it a hand-hewn quality.

Photography by Paul Nelson

What inspires your work? How would you describe your aesthetic?

I design and make original hardwood furniture and lighting pieces. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I don’t know if I look outside of myself for inspiration that much anymore. Most of my pieces are based on some need I have in my life and then I plug in my style and processes and let it rip. There are some elements that run through all of my work—thoughtful, practical, original, joyful designs; perfect craftsmanship; beautiful, natural materials. I have some signature design motifs that run through most of my pieces as well—live-edge pulls on casework, groves or ridges cut into turned pieces, chairs with wood tiles with rope running through them.

Photography by Paul Nelson

The Gentleman in Hunter and a Woodsport side table make quite the sophisticated duo

Aimee, one of H&W's co-founders, is also based in the Twin Cities. How does this unique area influence your designs, if at all?

There is a lot of Scandinavian heritage here and I’m sure it shows up in my designs. You can certainly see it in some of H&W’s patterns. I haven’t lived in Minnesota my entire life, but I’m sure I would have found Wegner, Juhl, Panton, Kjaerholm, etc. wherever I was—that stuff is just so good.

Photography by Paul Nelson

What is it about wood as a material and woodworking as a craft that attracted you?

Wood is very malleable and there is a lot you can do with it. It’s accessible and approachable. All you need is some basic machinery to work out some ideas. Beyond that, wood is such a soulful material—it has so much variety and character from species to species, and even within a species. Harvesting, finding, buying, or picking lumber is a near sacred experience for me. To this day, I still cherish putting finish on my pieces, when the character of the wood comes alive...it never gets old.

Sustainability is a big part of what you do. Can you tell us a little aboutyour "nose-to-tail" woodworking?

I’ve harvested a lot of lumber myself over the years. I’ll get a good-sized urban walnut tree, or a stand of them, and have a sawyer mill and dry it for me. So a Woodsport chair or table or lamp was once a blighted or storm-felled walnut tree standing in Minnetonka or South Minneapolis. Secondly, I hate waste and have respect for my materials—they are expensive and scarce. Pieces are designed to get the most yield out of the materials. For instance, many of my pieces are turned on a lathe. They are stack-laminated before turned, which gets them close to their finished shape and cuts down on waste. Then I design smaller pieces with “drop” (material that ends up on the other side of the saw blade). Scrap that is too small to use goes in my wood stove at home. I’ve given lathe shavings to mushroom farmers, potters for their kilns, and people with chicken coops.

You recently installed our Slice (Mist) and Snow (Blue). Where did you use these wallpapers and what drew you to these patterns?

My wife and I have recently become empty nesters and we fixed up our kids’ old bedrooms—total cliché—and one became an office and the other a guest room. For the office, we picked Snow because it had a wonderful, sort of controlled, Jackson Pollock vibe. I love the dark blue on white. It’s simple and bold and kind of looks like a big mistake. Slice is refined and geometric and soft. I like its timelessness—is it from the 20s? The 50s? The 70s?

Photography by Wing Ta

Hygge is about creating or finding coziness in life's small moments and simple joys. What brings hygge to your life?

I didn’t know about this concept until a few years ago, but I think I’ve been striving for it most of my life. Keep it simple, but keep it good... have less stuff, but have good quality stuff. My house is small, but the furnishings are nice and it's filled with art. It is so easy to be in it. There aren’t many things better than sitting in my living room reading or listening to music, fire in the wood stove, dog lying nearby in the sunlight, on a winter’s day.