At age 11, Jay Keefrider had a vision to build a bookshelf for his mom’s National Geographics. “I pitched the project and got the green light,” recalls Jay. “Little did I know it would lead to a lifetime love of woodcraft.”
Jay gained an appreciation for perfectionism in craftsmanship as a teen, landing his “dream job” at the workshop of master craftsman and sculptor, Jack Larimore in Philadelphia. Learning the fundamentals of classical furniture design, “I got to watch a master at work,” says Jay, who later studied furniture making and design at the acclaimed Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, graduating with a BFA in 2001.
He established his first workshop, Cotterpin Design, in LA that same year. Today, Jay sharpens his skills daily as a master woodworker at Keefrider Custom Furniture—a workshop like no other—founded in 2015 with wife, Sirie. “We’re the shop you go to when nobody else can make it,” says Sirie. Unlike most furniture workshops, “we consider our pieces works of functional art.”
Sirie’s foray into woodworking is as unique as Keefrider’s creations. A molecular biologist with a PhD from Yale, Sirie followed her heart and traded the ivory tower for the woodshop. “I’ve always been interested in the arts,” she says, enjoying painting, sculpture, and drawing before discovering her fascination for woodworking in the shop with Jay.
Honing their skills through the years, the couple combines their talents to bring clients’ visions to life. “Jay’s skills are the lifeblood of the shop,” says Sirie. “While we both contribute to the aesthetic design of most pieces and build them together, Jay’s ability to design the optimal structure and joinery for the piece is crucial. It’s why our pieces stand the test of time. My specialty is carving and inlay work, which is a real passion for me.”
“Clients come to us when they’re looking for something they can’t find anywhere,” Sirie explains. “Something that exists only in their mind’s eye. Our passion is to make that vision a reality.”
Design It
Deep diving into the design phase with clients inspires tailor-made pieces that reflect an individual’s style and suits their space. An extensive design phase involves “producing 3-D images and passing them back and forth for comments and revisions until the design is perfect,” says Sirie. “What we want is to have our clients see the finished piece and feel like that’s exactly what they envisioned. Hopefully even better.”
From sorting through piles of hardwoods to hand-picking pieces at sustainably sourced lumber yards to painstakingly crafting tolerances of up to one 64th of an inch, Jay and Sirie thrive on building each piece to the highest standards. “Every piece we make is a new challenge. We love that,” says Sirie. “Our workshop can build almost anything, including all sorts of carving, mechanical pieces, inlays, bent-wood pieces, and more, which means our clients never have to compromise on their vision.”
Handcrafted Creations
KeefriderSB.com showcases examples of their creations, like the Iris Table. A mechanical marvel, the circular table folds out like an iris as it turns, transforming into a larger piece. “It took 2 years of prototypes to get it exactly the way we wanted it,” says Jay. “The original concept was called a Jupe Table and was built in the 1800s. We ran with that initial idea and built on it, resulting in something that is really kind of magical to watch.”
The Guitar Desk is another example of their inimitable talent. Custom designed for a musician, a beautiful Indian Rosewood desk is inlaid with a guitar with real strings, frets, and mother of pearl.
The Ocean Table is lit from the bottom, illuminating a swath of blue-marbled “water” and dolphins that seemingly swim with the light.
“Our process starts with an initial meeting with the client, at the workshop or via Zoom, to get a feel for the general concept they are envisioning and provide a ballpark price before moving into the planning and design phase. Then we add the piece to the build schedule,” says Sirie, advising that clients should allow 4 to 10 months for completion. Keefrider delivers locally and ships worldwide.
“We love a challenge. Every client who walks through our door brings something new and exciting. There’s nothing I’d rather do,” says Jay.
We’re the shop you go to when nobody else can make it.
Every piece we make is a new challenge.