Custom made fine furniture:
Traditional Kenyan carving style built in New Orleans and
Brattleboro, VT

A furniture maker by training, Daniel Omondi Odhuno, began learning his craft at age 13 in his father's workshop in Mombasa, Kenya -- a workshop that has won national awards for its products. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Daniel inherited the business and proceeded to establish himself as an accomplished woodworker receiving national recognition by the UNCDF Micro-Enterprises Support Program in 2001. It is his carving, however, that sets Daniel's work apart. Practicing a local Swahili style of carving, heavily influenced by the rich cultural and religious traditions of the Oman and India, his work features the complex geometric designs and floral motifs that have adorned furniture, doors, and homes along the East African Coast since the sixteenth century.

Daniel moved to the United States in 2001 and set up his shop in the artisian community of Brattleboro, Vermont for 8 years. In October 2006 he was selected as winner of the award for Best in Show for a traditional furniture piece at the 11th Annual Providence Fine Furnishings Show in Rhode Island. Given Daniel's recent arrival to the United States woodworking scene, this award marked a tremendous accomplishment in a show that drew approximately 200 of the nation's most skilled and renowned furniture makers whose individual pieces ranged in price up to $55,000.

During his time in Vermont he was influenced by the New England Shaker style and incorporated the austere designs into his own work. His work typifies a blending of artwork from his home in East Africa and the rich woodlands of New England. His successful transition between the two vastly different cultures of Kenya and rural Vermont is evident in his work where native Kenyan woods, bambakofe and mvole, complement cherry, maple and walnut to create genuinely unique pieces. Using dove-tail and mortise and tenon joints, Daniel creates durable furniture and believes that furniture making should blend both traditional styles with utilitarian functions, yielding practical, and ornate heirloom fine furniture. He continues to show his work in galleries throughout the North East, but recently relocated to New Orleans.

Daniel was drawn to working in New Orleans where he believes his work can support the recovery of the city by using salvaged materials and restoring heirloom and antique furniture.

He works collaboratively with clients to create individually crafted furniture pieces. He builds an array of desks, coffee tables, chairs, beds and other furniture pieces, each piece complemented by Daniel's unique intricate carving designs. Individual pieces can be viewed in person, via appointment, or through Daniel's website: www.omondiwood.com and visitors are encouraged to visit Daniel's studio, located in New Orleans, Louisiana at 4025 Erato Street. Daniel Omondi Odhuno can be reached at the following:

Email: omondiodhuno@yahoo.com
Tel: 504 784 8662
Alt Tel: 504 444 5261