Auburn, ME. – Thos. Moser, makers of fine furniture, handcrafted in Maine, are proud to announce their founder, designer and namesake, Tom Moser, has been inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame in the Specialty Design category.

“I never thought of myself as a designer, but rather as a builder working closely with form,” said Tom Moser, founder, Thos. Moser. “The funny thing is that I learned my woodworking technology from people who preceded me by hundreds of years, doing restoration and repair work.”

The New England and Design Hall of Fame honors individuals who have had especially significant careers in residential design in New England. A small number of architects, interior designers and landscape architects whose work, influence and community involvement set them at the pinnacle of their profession are inducted into the Hall of Fame at a gala event held on November 7, 2013.

“Each year I am pleased and amazed by the depth of excellence and dedication shown by our honorees over the course of their careers,” said Kyle Hoepner, editor-in-chief of New England Home. “Bringing together the professional community to recognize and celebrate such achievement feels like an important aspect of assuring the future of great design in our six states.”

As a college professor in the mid-1960s, Tom felt "the compulsion to build, to create something real and physical with my hands." That realization led Tom on a 40 year journey creating handcrafted furniture pieces to become a leader in the industry.

“I never set out to create a business,” Tom quips. “I set out to recapture some of the values we lost 100 years earlier. My early designs were based on antecedent forms - they were within the aesthetic forms,” Tom explains. “A couple years into it I realized if I were going to make a success, I couldn’t just sell and celebrate other designers forever. The model I used for this was George Nakashima, Japanese furniture maker, who imposed the Japanese aesthetic on an 18th century American form (Windsor chair). If he could bring the Windsor chair to Japan, I could bring the Windsor to the 20th century. That was the impetus of my design. It was time to build a brand, rather than sell a service, and that is how it all started.”

Befitting the Thos. Moser mission to build furniture that celebrates the natural beauty of wood, the Hall of Fame has a permanent “Living Legacy” in the form of a birch grove in front of the Boston Design Center.

About Thos. Moser

Built in Maine, Thos. Moser furniture is 100% American-designed, engineered and built. Simple yet sophisticated, Thos. Moser pieces celebrate the natural beauty of wood with unembellished, graceful lines that echo numerous historic antecedents including traditional and modern forms – ranging from Shaker, Arts & Crafts, Mission, Bauhaus, Asian and Danish Modern. Expert in designing, engineering and building in solid wood, the company draws from its 40 years of experience to craft furniture designed to last many lifetimes. A dedication to exquisite design and exceptional craftsmanship is intended to transform a workspace or home into an inspired environment. Each piece of Thos. Moser furniture uses carefully selected American hardwoods obtained from small growers within 350 miles of the Maine workshop. For more information, visit www.thosmoser.com or www.mosercontract.com.

About the New England Design Hall of Fame

Founded in 2007, the New England Design Hall of Fame honors individuals whose careers have made a significant impact on design in New England, as well as on the overall good of the community. The awards program was established to recognize the lifetime achievement of the region’s top residential architects, interior designers, landscape designers, and practitioners of related residential design fields. Each year’s inductees are feted with an Academy Awards–style ceremony and gala dinner before several hundred of their industry colleagues. Also, a “Living Legacy” commemorating the Hall of Fame was created in the form of a forest of birch trees on the Boston Design Center’s front plaza. Each tree represents a member of the Hall of Fame; therefore the grove will grow and change through the years as new inductees are added, and will continue as an ongoing celebration of design achievement. For more information, visit http://www.nehomemag.com/NEDHOF.

Source: Thos. Moser