Waking Up With: Sam Klemick
Sam is the LA based designer and creator of the beautiful furniture pieces from Studio Sam Klemick. We love her quirky style and are forever inspired by the amazing pieces she creates. Here, we discuss her path before furniture design, how she learned to design and build her own furniture, and the importance of slow moments.
Hello! First off, tell us a little about yourself and what you’ve been up to lately.
Hi! I have been up to lots of work! I actually have a full time job as a knitwear designer for an LA based brand and also have my own small studio where I create furniture and installations. I spend a lot of time in the car and at the woodshop finishing chairs in between zoom meetings and sketch reviews. I am also about to wrap up my first ever project designing an entire retail space for a brand. The project is in Boston and I fly out next week to see it completed, so I am currently very excited for this.
What is your morning ritual?
The first thing I do when I get out of bed is turn on my espresso machine. I slowly get ready for the day with my coffee mug in hand, but nothing really happens until the caffeine hits. Most days are too hectic to get to sit and really take in a quiet moment, but on the weekends I like to just sit and drink my coffee and stare into space for a bit. I think time to do nothing is important and I definitely don't have enough of it.
You design the most beautiful furniture pieces, can you tell us a little bit about Studio Sam Klemick and how it came to be?
Thank you! My studio came about as a byproduct of my inability to sustain a medium level hobby. I started taking woodworking classes in the evenings after work and slowly but surely got very into it. I was also deeply disturbed by our ever growing climate crisis and the wasteful practices of the fashion industry. A combination of these things fed my motivation to do something small and mindful. I started out with making custom pieces for interior designers’ projects. I was making everything by reconstructing furniture I found on the side of the street. My process has changed a bit since then, but essentially this was the beginning.
What was your path before starting Studio Sam Klemick?
I have been working as a knitwear designer in the fashion industry for the past 14 years. I was super lucky to get hired straight out of school and have been working every since. I have moved around a bunch to work for different brands, LA, Philly, New York, now back to LA. Four years ago when the itch to do something new and with intention could no longer be ignored things got a little more interesting and now my path seems unclear, but in a very exciting way.
You not only design but also physically make your pieces, how did you learn to do this? Was furniture design + creation something you were always interested in?
I learned the basics of furniture building in the night classes I took at LA Woodshop, the rest has been through trial and error and youtube. I love the physical act of making things, I used the lathe for the first time a couple of years ago and really took to it. Turning is probably
my favorite woodworking process. I feel that it doesn’t require the same level of accuracy as other techniques which is good for me. I am definitely a designer first and maker/builder second but I love both parts of the process. Art and Design have always been interests of
mine, I dreamed of going to a proper art school, but it wasn't really in the cards for me at that time. I'm super grateful to have ended up where I am.
What is your favorite thing about your home?
The natural light and the space I have for my sewing machine and fabrics.
Can you tell us a little bit about your home? What is your approach to decorating?
I'm from Miami so I need to be surrounded by natural light. This was the first thing I looked for when I found my current home. In decorating I like to be surrounded by natural materials and textures and it's important that my home feels calm. If I could, it would be very minimal with only a few pieces of white furniture, but unfortunately I also work out of my home so it is currently filled with prototypes and chairs wrapped up waiting to be shipped. My coffee table is constantly in and out of my home because its a prototype that I'm working on, so while I want to pretend i'm in a condo on south beach, my home actually looks like a mix between Home Depot and Joanns Fabric- except for my bedroom which is filled with my favorite bedding company MORROW!
What is the best advice you have ever received?
To never make a decision based on fear - my sister.
What are you reading / watching / listening to these days?
Top Chef….. I want to be reading again but right now honestly its Top Chef and House Wives on TV at night, I wish my answer to this question was cooler and more intelligent haha.
Fill in the blanks:
The coolest place I’ve ever woken up in is: Pantelleria
The best cup of coffee/tea is at: When I decide to treat myself and not make it at home the best cup of coffee is at Stereoscope in Echo Park
A thing about mornings I’ll never get sick of is: My first sip of coffee
