Let us introduce you to the Valley’s top design and build professionals. Today, let’s get to know Michael Moody, owner of Michael Madley Design and his crazy-cool furniture designs.
How did you get started in the furniture design industry? For over two and a half decades, I trained in traditional woodworking and carpentry methods where I learned to design and craft pieces of livable art. During this time, I explored woodworking as a personal hobby. My hobby turned profession when my wife needed furniture for her remodeled office and I said, “Don’t buy something – I’ll make it for you!” Her remodel turned out beautifully and her clients began asking me to commission pieces for them. From there, I was inundated with orders and decided to make this my full-time profession.
What is your favorite project? My favorite project to date is the creation of my newest collection – the LEID. This collection presented many possibilities, challenges, and wins throughout the entire process. The LEID Collection has refined my craft to another level.
What inspires you and your work? My clients are my inspiration. Every client is unique, and so are their ideas. Each client presents new and inspiring ideas upon which we collaborate on in order to create the perfect piece. Some concepts are more challenging than others – but I like that! Challenges teach me new and interesting ways to achieve the impossible.
What is something timeless every home should have? When I think of something timeless, I think of a custom, one-of-a-kind piece. Something created and curated for that particular home. Whether it be a custom piece of furniture, a beautiful art hanging, or an heirloom piece, having a one-of-a-kind anything transforms a home by creating uniqueness and meaning in a way manufactured or reproducible objects could never attain.
What is considered trendy in furniture design these days? This is a great question and the answer depends on who you ask. Live edge lumber is a big hit for the do-it-yourself crowd, but clean, minimalist woodworking is key in high-end European design. Each trend has its place, both are very popular, and I think there is space in the market for each of these trends.
What do you consider your biggest professional accomplishment? My biggest professional accomplishment was when high-end clients – like professional athletes, designers and art collectors – began to seek out me and my work. Until that point, I could only dream of designing and building furniture for people I saw on TV.
What advice do you have for young people or students hoping to pursue a design career? Find a support system. Before I met my wife, I didn’t think I could do this full-time. She allowed me to see the beauty and uniqueness of my work and, to this day, gives me a yes or no when it comes to putting a value to my worth.
What are you working on now? I am currently working on developing the art of preserving wood in its most natural form; where wood is completely protected but looks and feels exactly like a freshly sanded piece of wood. Trust me, this is more difficult than it seems! All-natural, invisible finishes are becoming more and more requested by my clients in the design industry and I am excited to pioneer this technique.
