Maker Monday: Troy Smith

Splitting his time between sunny Miami and Toronto, modern furniture designer Troy Smith is a game-changing force in the design world. Using traditional materials like glass, textured rebar, woods, and leathers, Smith breaks from the trends and fuses his work with an avant-garde vision. Since beginning a career as a designer, he has traveled extensively around the world, gathering inspiration from artisans both modern and classic. His already-timeless statement pieces have brought awe and admiration to spaces internationally, as his studio presence in both Miami and Toronto is revered and remembered by anyone who laid eyes on one of his works. Meet Troy in this week’s Maker Monday, and get a taste of the personality behind the piquant designs. Smith’s take on a dresser is an angular, zig zagged remix of your everyday boudoir. Red velvet and golden rods give this luxurious lounge an old-school glamour feeling in a new-age form.


Andrew Joseph – What modern design trend makes you cringe?
Troy Smith – In the contemporary furniture category, I frequently see poorly designed furniture that completely neglects comfort, proportion and human scale. It’s one thing to label something as “art” but design should take human use and daily life into account. The best design, to me, always has use, longevity, simplicity and great materials.

Andrew – Style (or design) icon?
Troy – Mattia Bonetti’s artisanal furniture is a masterwork of creativity and experience. He blends the past with the future for timeless creations that span eras and generations. His furniture exhibits a lifetime of learning and being curious about form and material and stands alone as unique and original.

Andrew – How would you define your work in three words?
Troy – Timeless, original and quality.

Andrew – A book that everyone should read?
Troy – Bill Bryson; A Short History of Nearly Everything. This book is just so fascinating to me. It puts into simpler words complex ideas of the universe, histories and sciences that we may take for granted. This book is a great example of stepping back and seeing a birds-eye view of the planet we live on and when we step back can we have a better understanding and clarity of our complex and beautiful world. It gives you a perspective on our history and how lucky we are to experience it.

Andrew – What would you like to be remembered for?
Troy – I would like to be remembered for creating original, timeless and avant-garde designs that work themselves into museums, personal collections and pop culture at large. It would also be nice to remembered for being a great guy and treating people fairly and with respect.

Andrew – Who is your ideal client?
Troy – My ideal client is someone who knows what they want and recognizes the time required to build something of great quality and importance. Someone willing to take risks and be bold, to show what can be done with furniture in a great setting, old or new, classic or contemporary. Smith splices a classic desk with rows of gold, making sure work never gets boring.


About Troy Smith | Troy Smith epitomizes the definition of a modern day Renaissance man. His singular furniture creations are garnering international attention from notable galleries, as well as individuals who covet and curate innovative, timeless design. He travels extensively to the foremost international design and fashion capitals, and regularly visits world-famous museums, galleries and architectural landmarks to explore and experience emerging trends, and iconic creations in art and design. These influences, as well as his life experiences, are a constant source of inspiration and are apparent in his many stunning pieces, as well as his abstract acrylic paintings.

Troy is constantly exploring new expressions for his creativity. His original, one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces are a rare and remarkable fusion of enduring and evocative materials. By imaginatively integrating elements such as textured rebar, ingenious light-shifting glass, exotic woods and luxurious leather, in unexpected ways, he has elevated rebar to an art form, innovated with an incredible light shifting glass and created the grand dame of sofas, the Flute Sofa.

Troy’s passion for all things beautiful ensures each piece is the embodiment of extraordinary inspiration, meticulous craftsmanship and quintessential beauty.


About Andrew Joseph | Andrew Joseph’s passion for design and rich journalistic history led to the launch of his boutique PR firm in 2012. Prior to enjoying the successes of Andrew Joseph PR, Andrew honed his editorial skills at Vanity Fair and Allure. This experience, as well as the strong network of contacts developed over the years in public relations, brings a valuable edge to his new role as contributing editor. Let the musing begin.

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