It’s no coincidence that Skylar Morgan is at home in Atlanta. A Montana native but a modernist at heart, this talented craftsman followed his passion to a place where he could live the dream every day. “I actually researched the fastest-growing city in the South with the most young people,” he says. “And Atlanta was it.”
Many a design pro in the city turns to Skylar Morgan Furniture + Design (SMFD), a studio specializing in custom furniture for commercial and residential spaces as well as high-end architectural woodworking. Working in whatever material the project calls for—be it wood, metal or even plastic—Morgan can bring to life an already-conceived design or create a one-of-a-kind custom piece. “Ninety percent of the time, it’s something that’s already designed,” he says. “But we still like to focus on as much modern or contemporary design as possible. When we get these fun projects I love getting to the shop every day. I hate leaving at night. It’s not ‘work’ for me at all.”
Still, Morgan readily admits that wood is his preferred medium. “I’ve been woodworking since I was little, probably 12 or 13 years old, with my uncle at his cabinet shop. I started to go into architecture but quickly found out that I’m very hands on; I really need to create with my hands. I tried diΩerent things but wood just stuck. Especially in modernism, because wood is the only material that can really warm up a space.”
Not surprisingly, Morgan has translated his love for wood and modernism into an additional venture—a furniture collection that he calls Doc. “It’s going to be a line of 15 to 20 pieces. They’re all my creations, things that have the look and feel of my style. It’s extremely edited, all beautiful woods.”
But his chosen varieties may sometimes surprise. “Walnut’s always been my favorite type of wood—and white oak. But I’ve recently started using something called No. 1 Common. It’s basically a wood that’s discarded by the mills because it has defects—like big black knots. Most people don’t want those but I go in and take all those pieces because, to me, that’s the most beautiful part, especially the graining around the knot. It’s absolutely beautiful. And there’s the ‘green’ side of it, too; I’m taking discarded wood and using it.”
Careful study goes into each piece of Doc. furniture, not only the design but the material, too. “We have to ‘read’ the piece of wood,” Morgan explains. “We have to know what it’s going to do because wood moves; it’s a living product. It’s not like steel; it’s constantly moving.”
This ultimate attention to detail has a huge payoff, too. “With Doc.—given the woods and finishes we use—you don’t wear the piece out, you wear it in; it just gets better and better over time,” Morgan says. “We pay attention to how the piece is going to be used and how it’s going to look in 20 years; we want it to look better then than it did when we delivered it.”
But one has to wonder: Why the name “Doc.?” As it turns out, it’s Morgan’s middle name; he was named after his grandfather, whom he respects as role model and a business man. Thus, it’s a daily reminder of what Morgan hopes to accomplish as a designer and woodworker.
“Doc. is short and simple, just like our line,” he says, “and easy to remember. The name seems to fit perfectly.”
Doc. is available through SMFD and Verde Home. For more information, visit smf-d.com, docbuilt.com or verdehomeinc.com.