That Perfect Curve - A dialogue with Sculptural Furniture Designer, Brett Miller

In his adopted hometown of Hudson in New York, where he has established his furniture design practice by the name of Jackrabbit Studio, Brett Miller experiments with circular and cylindrical geometries to transform the sometimes-mundane aesthetic of wooden furniture. The result is good-looking, whimsical and unique yet charmingly simple furniture that is the very embodiment of the mod term ‘collectible design’.

 We recently had a chance to catch up with Miller and hear his thoughts about his work, his path, and his love for what he does.

Let’s start by talking about your backstory. I’m curious how you got into the furniture business...

 I got into the furniture business kind of by trial and error. I didn’t go to art school or study design or anything like that so I didn’t have any real background in it but it was a very natural thing for me to come into. I was a baseball player my whole life, played college and pro ball. But once I realized I wasn’t going to make the big leagues I decided that it was time to figure something else out. I was living in San Diego, California at the time and sold everything I had and drove East in my car and ended up in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. I first worked at a farm for a season, and then got a job doing metal fabrication, then eventually got a job in a woodworking shop. That’s where I realized I had a passion for wood as a material. I worked for a bunch of different small furniture shops around the area and learned as much about woodworking as I could. At one point the guys I was working for had a slow down in business so they couldn’t keep me on so I found a cheap shop space to rent and started making my own pieces.

 Was pursuing this full time a big risk for you?

 I would say it wasn’t really a big risk. The first collection of pieces I made was while I was still working a construction job and then Sight Unseen featured those pieces on their American Design Hot List in 2018. From there I started getting orders and basically one thing led to another and I was able to quit my construction job and make furniture full time. It all happened pretty naturally. Also, I didn’t really have any money at the time anyway so I didn’t really have anything to lose.

Once you made a decision to focus on the Jack Rabbit Studio, what was the first year like? How were you paying the bills?

 The first year was surprisingly smooth. I got enough orders to make it through the summer of 2019 and then in the fall I did a furniture fair called Field and Supply in Kingston NY and then in October I was part of a design show at a furniture and art gallery in LA called Lawson Fenning. So, all of those things combined have gotten me through to today and I’ve been paying the bills with just the income from my furniture ever since.

 The furniture business is very competitive. Everyone seems to be in the game. You have to find a way to differentiate yourself. What sets your studio apart?

 Yeah, there are a lot of great designers making furniture right now. I think the biggest thing for me is just to focus on my work and myself and try to not get too caught up in what other people are doing. It’s daunting if you think too much about it and it’s hard not to compare yourself to others and it’s easy to feel insecure if you’re always trying to keep up with the game. I think for me the biggest thing is to just make what I’m inspired to make and not worry too much about trying to differentiate myself; I think that will just happen on its own.

How would you describe your furniture?

For me, I would describe my work as intuitive. But I don’t know, other people might describe it differently. My work is all about feel, both emotional and physical. I’m a bit of a contrarian at heart so I tend to want to do the opposite of what other people around me are doing, which, in terms of my furniture, manifests in roundness. I much prefer the informality of smooth round objects to the formal world of hard edges and rectilinear shapes. I think I’m more of a sculptor at heart than a “furniture maker” in my approach to designing a new piece and even the way I go about making it. I do a lot of hand shaping and carving to achieve the roundness, as opposed to using precise machinery. I think it just gives a much more personal feel to the work.

What has been the high point of your career so far?

I guess there have been three main high points, the first being chosen as one of Sight Unseen’s young designers to watch which really launched my career, second would be being featured in T Magazine, and the third would be having my first show that really put a spotlight on my work. Also, I guess the biggest high point is being able to actually make money doing what I love!

 I think any young creative really has to hustle. So, what advice would you give someone who’s just getting started?

 There are many different approaches I think and everyone will have their opinions about the best way to go about things and my path may not work for everyone so take this with a grain of salt, but the biggest thing that’s helped me get to where I am now is to keep your overhead as low as possible, even if that means finding an abandoned space and renovating it or whatever you can do to keep your rent low or free. That was honestly the biggest thing for me because it allowed me to be able to quit my full time job and not have to worry so much about having to make money to pay the rent and allowed me to really focus on making work. And the other thing is just make good work! At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about.

If you were granted three wishes for your business, what would they be?

 The first would be sustainability. For me the biggest measure of success is being able to make a career out of doing what you want to do, not being famous or rich, just being able to continue to work.

 The second would be, being able to hire and inspire other people who want to get into design or maybe didn’t even know that it was an option. There are so many people who are just stuck in their loop and don’t know that there are other options out there that are attainable. I’d like to inspire those people to branch out and try something new.

 Third would be, being able to travel and work on design projects all over the world! I think the key to staying inspired is diversity and not getting stuck just doing one thing. I’m so inspired by different techniques and materials and how different cultures are able to use the same materials in such different and unique ways.  I find it amazing!

Words by Srishti Jindal