Maker Monday: An Aspire Exclusive Interview With Thomas Hayes

Thomas Hayes’ passion for furniture first manifested thirty years ago in a series of remodelings and restorations. His multifaceted fascination eventually developed into a collection of personal creations – a collection which soon expanded at his eponymous studio in Hollywood, California. Hayes’ furniture designs blend seemingly contradictory styles; a combination of vintage Brazilian design and American Modernism, with mid-century Italian influences, result in delicate, maverick pieces both distinct and accessible. Hayes’ love of form and quality is evident in every design – as he puts it, “Furniture is sexy.” Aspire welcomes this week’s Maker Monday, Thomas Hayes.

Hayes’ TK Dining Chair, with an upholstered seat on a sturdy wooden frame, adds a unique presence to its environment as both modern and subtle.

Andrew Joseph: If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be and why?
Thomas Hayes: A liger because it’s magical, and Napoleon Dynamite drew it.

AJ: What is something you hope to see trending in design in the future?
TH: Quality and longevity.

AJ: What’s the weirdest thing a client has ever asked you?
TH: Can I get this for free?

The Inga stool blends the stylistic simplicity of Brazilian modernism with a plush American flair.

AJ: What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
TH: I have the legs of a ballerina.

AJ: What was your first job?
TH: Dishwasher at a fish market; it was absolutely horrible. I can’t eat fish to this day.

AJ: What are three things you can’t live without?
TH: Attention, Attention, Attention.

AJ: What’s your biggest fear in life?
TH: That I will miss the zombie apocalypse.

A classic Hayes design, the Iron and Rolled Stool holds a comfy upholstered seat with a sleek metal frame.

AJ: How would you define your work in three words
TH: Overpriced, undervalued, and sexy.

AJ: Best advice you’d give your teenage self?
TH: Go to Alcoholics Anonymous early.

AJ: What would you like to be remembered for?
TH: Making an impact in the world and helping a lot of people. Giving more than I take.

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About The Maker | Thomas Hayes first fell for Modernism in the 90’s, when he drove past a pair of Eames lounge chairs sitting on a porch in the Bay area. Drawn immediately to the clean lines and sleek simplicity, Hayes set out to remake Modern marketable. When vintage pieces were beyond faithful restoration, or when he or a client saw an improvement that could be made to a vintage piece with fresh new design elements, Hayes’s personal creativity was put to use. Before long, it became apparent that Hayes’s talent as a designer was no less than his eye for collecting and his hand at refurbishment. Beginning in 2005, constructions entirely of his own devising, highly informed by his experience and familiarity with Modern masters, developed at the gallery alongside work-as-normal.

Thus was born a new endeavor: Thomas Hayes STUDIO, and the formal launch of Hayes’ signature Spring 2013 Collection on April ‘18. The pieces included in this collection represent a tightly curated group of designs from the last several years, while also hinting at the work that should be expected of the designer in years to come. Each design is produced meticulously and with only the highest-quality materials.

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