Artisan

KIMBERLY MACARTHUR GRAHAM

>>> Brian Hubel, Hubel Handcrafted Interiors, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Brian Hubel.

Though he laughingly warns me up front that information will have to be dragged out of him, it's not because artisan Brian Hubel is reticent or secretive. No, it is simply because he'd rather be coaxing glorious forms out of wood.

Hubel, who prefers to be called a woodworker rather than an artist, is "one hundred percent" self-taught. "It just makes total sense to me. Design and handwork come naturally," he says.

"Flare" bench, made with laminated cherry and bubinga.

While he grew up around the woodshop on his grandparents' Nebraska ranch, Hubel initially eschewed woodworking as a career, instead earning college degrees in several fields including biology, chemistry and criminal law. While in school and after, ensconced in an office job, Hubel continued to work wood on his own time. As coworkers, neighbors and friends noticed the quality of his craft and began requesting pieces for themselves, a hobby became a business. In 1998, with great relief, Hubel left the desk job behind to do what he really loves.

Meticulous craftsmanship is a hallmark of his work and a source of pride. "Everything is hand-done; nothing is automated or machine made," Hubel says. Nor does he farm out any aspects of the process. "It's just me," he says of his shop. "All design and finish, from start to finish, I do it all, though I do have some help with installing cabinets and other architectural stuff." To be honest, he admits, he doesn't do as many cabinets anymore ("They have to be pretty elaborate, pretty unique," he notes), preferring instead to focus on freestanding furniture such as tables, case pieces and benches.

"Passage in Time" clock, made with zebrawood, maple burl and ebony.

Benches are a particular favorite; Hubel enjoys inventing different combinations of "simplicity, mass and stoutness." Recently, though, he added freestanding clocks to his repertoire because, he says, "I wanted to do something different." His first design, "Passage in Time," was commissioned by a longtime client, and he's since created two additional styles. All three are deceptively simple. "Clocks are not easy to build," he comments. "They take considerable time because they have to be hollow-bodied rather than solid (solid or ply construction would be too heavy)," so they require a complicated "torsion box" design wrapped in a thick wooden skin.

Hubel cites early-20th-century architects Greene & Greene as an influence, as well as Asian architecture and design — though, he's quick to point out in typical blunt fashion, "I never really studied it." All of these are evident in his spare and sensual designs that seem to emerge naturally from the wood, showing off each species' natural grain and color.

"Slim" buffet, made with salvaged Russian olive, claro walnut and ebonized ash.

As might be expected, Hubel is a wood geek, an expert and enthusiast who gets excited about species most people have never heard of. Yes, he utilizes cherry and mahogany and maple, but he's gaga over bubinga and jatoba and wenge. A favorite is claro walnut, which is a richly variegated wood that occurs when a native walnut rootstock is grafted to an English walnut scion. Widely planted in California, entire orchards of walnut trees are clear-cut when they start producing nut hulls too tough to harvest (after about 50 years). At that point, the wood, including the claro surrounding the graft site, is available for purchase and use. Hubel is partial to the claro because "it's not so perfect. It has knots and inclusions without being rustic. On some pieces," he continues, "you can even see where the wood changes."

Similarly, Hubel cuts no corners with finishes, preferring to keep them simple and high quality. He uses oil-based varnishes and, occasionally, natural shellac (a resin deposited on trees by tiny insects). Both of these protect the wood while enhancing its natural beauty. From an environmental perspective, he laments that the water-based products simply don't measure up to the oils.

"Sterling" cabinet, made with claro walnut.

As he is about wood and finishes, Hubel can be selective about projects. Last year, his waiting list was eight months. Once a client gets on the docket, design time (if required) will run about three to four weeks, and fabrication approximately six to eight more. But for Hubel Handcrafted's clients, who understand that they're waiting on a unique piece that will grace a home for decades — and after that, the homes of several generations to come — it doesn't seem so long at all.

Hubel Handcrafted Interiors, 1311 N. Corona St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903; (719) 667-0577, (877) 711-0368 or www.hubelhi.com.