HANDMADE FURNITURE
Contemporary Designs Crafted with
Traditional Woodworking Techniques
Plant Stands (2026)
These sculptural plant stands are handmade from white oak and shaped with playful, scalloped legs. They also make great side tables. The idea began after Toryn attended the American Craft Council Show in February 2026, where Toryn participated in a Craft Your Commerce shared booth alongside five other Western North Carolina craft artists.
Sharing a display with fellow maker Angelique Tassistro sparked the idea of bringing more color and the scalloped shape into Toryn’s work. The result is a collection of small tables that feel both functional and fun. Check out Angelique’s incredible plant pots and more pottery.
Each plant stand combines natural White Oak with hand-painted details using Milk Paint, a natural, non-toxic paint. The wood is finished with citrus oil and tung oil. Toryn Black Design’s preference for natural finishes whenever possible.
Materials: White Oak, Milk Paint
Joinery: Lap joints, floating tenon
Dimensions:
Tall: 24” H x 12” W x 12” L
Mid: 17 1/2” H x 9”W x 9” L
Short: 12” H x 8”W x 8” L
Varo (2026)
Varo, a Hand-Carved Sycamore Wall Cabinet this small sculptural cabinet that hangs on the wall with a french cleat. Toryn was fortunate to attend a workshop at Penland School of Craft in 2025 with Laura Mays. The Cabinet on the left with the scruptural carving was designed and began to be built in the class Toryn later finished the piece in her woodshop in Hendersonville. This design is inspired by Remedios Varo’s 1957 painting entitled, The Creation of the Birds. (Creación de las aves).
Made of local Appalachian quarters sawn Sycamore, dowel joinery, knife hinges.
Materials: Quartersawn Appalachian Sycamore
Joinery: Dowel
Hardware: Knife hinges, French cleat
Dimensions: 9" L × 11" H × 4.5" W
Hilma (2026)
Hilma Wall Cabinet is a small, hand-built wall cabinet inspired by Swan No. 16 by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint. The cabinet’s intricate geometric inlay draws from af Klint’s exploration of symmetry, movement, and the unseen, translating those ideas into wood.
Handcrafted from local Appalachian quartersawn sycamore, walnut, curly maple, and spalted maple, each piece of wood contributes its own grain, color, and natural character to the design. The cabinet features intricate hand-cut inlay, traditional dowel joinery, and knife hinges. It hangs securely on the wall with a French cleat.
Materials: Quartersawn Appalachian Sycamore, Walnut, Curly Maple, Spalted Maple
Joinery: Floating tenon
Hardware: Knife hinges, French cleat
Dimensions: 12" L × 14" H × 4.5" W
Wonder Cabinet (2025)
Wonder Cabinet is a mid-century modern cabinet and a love letter to vintage HiFi, thoughtfully adapted for modern audio components. The piece was inspired by listening to The Wonder of Stevie podcast and watching Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President, both of which stirred a nostalgia for the tactile and visual experience of listening to records. More than that, they sparked for Toryn a realization of music’s role in reconnecting us with who we are and what we believe, inspiring us to imagine a better world and calling us to care for all beings.
The Wonder Cabinet was Toryn’s showpiece for the Haywood Community College Professional Crafts program graduate exhibition at the Folk Art Center, where it was exhibited from May through September 2025.
The top opens upward on Soss hinges and remains securely in place with a brass stay. Designed for both beauty and function, the top accommodates a record player and speakers, while the lower cabinet provides generous storage for hundreds of records.
The original Wonder Cabinet is part of Toryn’s personal collection, but she would love to create a custom version for your home, designed around your space, dimensions, record collection, and audio equipment.
Materials: Walnut, Curly Maple, Ambrosia Maple, Vintage-Inspired Speaker Fabric
Joinery: Dovetails and Floating Tenons
Hardware: Soss Hinges, European Door Hinges, Brass Stay
Dimensions: 52" L × 17.5" W × 37" H
Charlene (2025)
The Charlene Rocker is Toryn’s interpretation of David N. Ebner’s Sternum Rocker, a chair he designed in 1976 and inspired by the curve of a duck’s sternum bone. And Ebner stating this as call that inspiration can be found anywhere. Charlene honors that original form but uses different construction methods and Toryn’s contemporary style.
Crafted from red oak, the chair features bent lamination, bridle joinery, and Swedish Modern–style caning. The result is a piece with a modern sensibility and a gentle nod to the 1970s.
Deep gratitude to the generous and talented team at Silver River Chairs, who patiently guided Toryn through the caning process and generously shared their expertise in the trying months after Hurricane Helene.
Materials: Appalachian Red Oak, Swedish Modern Cane, Fabric Upholstery
Joinery: Bridle Joints, Floating Tenons
Dimensions: 26" L × 24.5" W × 33" H
Janus (2024)
Janus Coffee Table is a mid-century–inspired statement piece crafted in solid Sapele and Sapele veneer. Defined by parabolic arches and graceful curved joinery. The square top features an intricate box veneer pattern, carefully composed from 1/16” sapele veneer for longevity.
Named for the Roman god of thresholds and transitions, Janus was the two-faced god of entrances, thresholds, and transition. Toryn’s first statement piece as she transitioned from a career in social work into woodwork. This piece was awarded a Merit Award at the International Woodworking Fair Student Design Competition in Atlanta (2024), recognizing excellence in design, execution, and innovation.
This Janus Coffee Table lives in Toryn’s personal collection but she would love to make you one for your living rooms with your specifications.
Materials: Quartersawn Sapele, Quarter Sawn Sapele Vaneer, Plywood
Joinery: Miter Joints and Floating Tenons
Dimensions: 40" L × 40" W × 17" H
Cherry Charm (2024)
Cherry Charm Side Table is the first table made and designed by Toryn Black Design. This simple side table made Cherry hardwood features clean lines and a mid-century modern-inspired design. Blended joints, all wood joinery, and seamless transitions. Wood was sourced in Appalachia, and this table was made from a single board.
Materials: Cherry
Joinery: Floating Tenons
Dimensions: 29" L × 16" W × 24" H