Built By Hand: Pro Member Sawyer DeVuyst Carves Out His Own Career

Photo Credit: Allison Michael Orenstein

Upon perusing the brand new (gorgeous) Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, we came across side tables we were convinced had to be the work of 3rd Ward Pro Member, Sawyer DeVuyst.

Turns out we were dead-on. DeVuyst and his furniture company SAW were commissioned by the hotel for a number of pieces. With the hotel officially opening May 1st, you'll soon be able to see his work first-hand.

In the meantime, we grabbed a Q&A with the man himself. So read on for some true, be-your-own boss inspiration (and catch a glimpse of DeVuyst's artistry down below.)

3W: If you had to try and describe it, how would you define your work's guiding aesthetic?

SD: I like balance. I strive for balance. Where there's an element of perfection in one of my pieces, there also has to be something about it that is imperfect--whether it's a metal finish that's not completely symmetrical in tone or a wood top with loads of reclaimed character. Nothing can be perfect because that's just not how life works. I think you can see a lot of parallels between an artist's work and how they live their lives.

3W: When did you have that moment where you understood this was something you could truly do professionally?

SD: My dad is a millworker, so I grew up around tools. Having never gone to college, I began working in an architectural metal shop in 2007 as an apprentice, mainly doing metal finishes and installations. In my spare time, they taught me how to weld and when the buliding industry tanked, I was laid off. It was a sink or swim moment. I could've either been in the world sitting around, soaking up unemployment or I could've built my own world of creativity and self-sustainment. I chose the latter.

3W: How did you get hooked in with the Wythe Hotel?

SD: I was contacted via the SAW website. [The hotel is] an incredible space and the design as well as the thought process behind its interior really had me smitten. Within the hotel, SAW nightstands and the coffee table bases (the marble tops were not provided by SAW) can be seen in most Manhattan-view rooms and a handful of Brooklyn-view rooms on floors 2 through 5.  Also, in the suites on floors 7 and 8, the blackened steel coffee tables and side tables were bulit by SAW.

3W: A number of folks might have abandoned something like this midway. Though you've followed through and are now experiencing some real recognition. Any words to those hesitant about diving into an endeavor like yours?

SD: Follow up and follow through! In any project you're working on, in any business interaction. If you say you'll do something, stay true to your word and do it. That's my primary piece of advice. Secondarily, be considerate. I can't tell you how much people appreciate a considerate builder/business owner/subcontractor/coworker. However, I can tell you how much return work I've gotten because of this--and it's a lot.

(See, people? Living proof. Hone your craft, hone that online portfolio and get yourself moving.)

...And now for a closer look at DeVuyst's work:

Crated Coffee TableCrated Side TablePallet TablePallet Table DetailConcrete Side TableManhattan Kitchen RemodelGatsby TablesCoffee TableCrated Media ConsoleStill life with DeVuyst