Thos. Moser is a paradigm of classic fine residential furniture making. But the company runs a business in business furniture too: Moser Contract. High end boutique hotels or businesses wanting contemporary classic office furniture would be likely target customers.

Moser Contract introduced its Element Collection at NeoCon 2013 last month, winning Silver for an Elements sideboard with drawer fronts of Paperstone, a panel made from paper. Designed by Adam Rogers, Element honors the Moser devotion to modern design and quality craftsmanship, with simple lines, use of traditional joinery techniques, and bringing out the essence of the wood, which is core to Rogers’ approach.

“Relying on the basic elements of design such as point, line, and plane provides a foundation for the approach to these designs,” says Rogers. “My objective is to amplify subtlety, while celebrating the beauty of natural materials. Each piece must respect the honesty of the making process.”

Most of Thos. Moser furniture is in American black cherry. Sensing growing interest in darker woods, Rogers sourced walnut from Missouri for the line.

The Element desk shown here, with hollow leg for wiring and outlets discretely seated at the back of the drawer, incorporates a feathered miter, made with two solid wood splines at an angle, “so you are getting edge grain on both angles,” says Rogers. Is this hard to execute on the higher contract-volume runs?

“We actually designed it to be bench made,” says Rogers. “We set up a dado stack and jig that holds the piece at a 45º reference to the fence. After one pass it’s flipped the around, cut, and then you glue up sub assembly.”