Journal – Thos. Moser
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Journal
\ \ The Edo Collection\ \ Learn more](/content/blogs/journal/the-edo-collection/index.html)
Design
The Edo Collection
Lasting from 1603 to 1868, Japan’s Edo period was a time of great cultural growth and dedication to craftsmanship. This era was noted for peace and stability, as samurai set aside their swords and embraced philosophy and art. Artists and builders valued balance, restraint, and respect for their materials, turning simple materials such as wood, ink, and paper into lasting works of beauty through careful carving, layering, and finishing. The architecture of the time reflected these values, with every part having a clear function and authentic beauty emerging from honest construction.
A torii gate.
The wide horizontal lines of torii gates, the strong wooden frames of temples, and the repeating patterns of traditional buildings all show a belief that beauty comes from structure, careful proportions, and precision, rather than added decoration.
The Edo Bench
Inspiration Behind the Edo Collection Introduced in 2006, the Edo Collection by David Moser was inspired by a profound respect for Japanese architecture and craftsmanship, particularly the wabi-sabi ethos, which values the authentic beauty of handmade objects. Instead of simply copying decorative details, Moser drew from the structural principles and traditions of Japan’s Edo period, blending them with modern American furniture-making and the Thos. Moser style. The result is furniture that looks both timeless and modern—unique, understated, and true to its roots.
Above: The Edo Stool
Form Built From Structure Architectural shapes are a key feature throughout the Edo Collection. Angled supports evoke temple gateways, and wide horizontal surfaces seem to float above well-designed bases. The Edo Trestle Table exemplifies this idea, with a sculpted base that looks light but is very stable, allowing chairs and benches to fit easily underneath. Similarly, the platform bed’s low height creates a sense of calm in the bedroom. Each piece stands out for its clean lines, thoughtful design, and simple, natural proportions.
The Warmth of Natural Materials The collection also reflects the Japanese love for simplicity and authenticity. Rather than overpowering the material, each design highlights the natural qualities of sustainably sourced North American cherry and walnut. The grain, color changes, and warmth of the wood are integral to the design. Sharp edges, smooth lines, and careful proportions further bring out the beauty already in the material. The Edo Chair is a prime example, blending Japanese design, Scandinavian modernism, Shaker style, and American craftsmanship into one unified piece.
Details in Design Throughout the collection, a signature square tenon joint reflects traditional Japanese methods. Edo chairs, with their gently carved crests inspired by torii gates, offer both comfort and sculptural beauty. Each seat is deeply carved to bring out its shape and provide ergonomic support, while the natural finish enhances the wood’s grain and color.
Above: The Edo Bed and Studio Dresser A Shared Philosophy Although inspired by Japan, the Edo Collection is unmistakably Thos. Moser. Each piece is handmade in Maine with traditional joinery and sustainably sourced North American hardwoods. Instead of copying old designs, David Moser brought forward the values behind them—clarity, craftsmanship, and careful proportion—into furniture made for modern life. Almost twenty years after its introduction, the Edo Collection still feels current, its roots in timeless architecture proving that good design and honest materials always belong in the home.
Design
The Pasadena Collection
Design inspiration comes in many forms: architecture, nature, and the human body. It is a continuous process of sharing and refining ideas until the desired result is achieved. With the Pasadena Collection, David Moser infused architecture and furniture motifs into existing Moser designs, creating a collection that is both functional and artistic.
Design
Meet Dr. White
Tom Moser drew inspiration for Dr. White's Chest from a Shaker Village cupboard, designed so all your belongings fit neatly inside.
Home Tours
A Home for Generations
In the heart of Midcoast Maine, nestled on a piece of land that has been in the family for over a century, stands a home that embodies timeless elegance, comfort, and a deep commitment to quality.
Home Tours
The Argonaut
Perched along the Maine coast, The Argonaut is a study in quiet design. Discover how handmade furniture, abundant natural light, and carefully considered details create a home that feels both deeply rooted and effortlessly welcoming.
Home Tours
Set for Summer
Complete with classic New England architecture, cedar shakes, and a Maine-made weathervane, customer Chris T.’s home blends his passion for boating and Maine artisanship. Initially, the 6,500-square-foot “Eagle Loft” was built to store his two Hinckley yachts during the off-season. It wasn’t until the project was well underway that Chris decided to add the living quarters to enjoy the area and entertain guests during the summer. A bay of open windows invites the iconic Acadia National Park coastline in with dappled views of the Bear Island Lighthouse through a lush canopy of heirloom maple trees and cool salt breezes from the Somes Sound.
Above: The Eagle Loft
Chris’ affinity for Maine and fine craftsmanship started in the late 1960s, as a 12-year-old, when he spent his summers visiting his aunt and uncle in New Gloucester, Maine. He vividly remembers those summers when he climbed aboard the Greyhound bus in Boston bound for Maine. One of his favorite summer adventures included tagging along with his uncle to visit his friend at his “workshop.” This was the first workshop in the old Grange Hall. Recollecting his younger years, Chris says, “As a Boston city kid, I was amazed to see furniture being made and refurbished by hand. It created a lifelong interest in following the success of Tom’s furniture over the decades.” As time passed, Chris watched the business grow.
Moser was a natural choice when it came to furnishing the Eagle Loft. Every element was thoughtfully planned, designed, and executed. With the main living space situated among the trees, he wanted furniture that reflected the surroundings and exuded Maine ingenuity and craft. When speaking of the table and chairs, Chris notes, “They were the first pieces of furniture I selected for my new home. I’ve admired his furniture for years—the pure craftsmanship, a combination of elegance and comfort, drew me to his designs.”
I've admired this furniture for years— the pure craftsmanship, a combination of elegance and comfort drew me to his designs. -Chris T.
Chris’ space was made for gathering with a table set for summer soirees after a day on the water. The solid walnut trestle of the Wishbone table anchors the room, and the Eastward Chairs’ hand-sculpted seats invite people to gather and take in the view. At one luncheon, he recalls, “It lasted for hours; it’s a testament to how comfortable Tom’s wooden chairs are.” While family and guests appreciate the fine craftsmanship of the furniture, Chris notes that he delights in showing the maker's signature to guests on every piece- “it always wows them,” he says.
The fine art of boatbuilding and furnituremaking shares a symbiosis that enriches the space and the lives of those who visit the Eagle Loft. For Chris, this kinship of craft has created a childhood dream home where he shares meals with friends around a table and chairs designed by a man he met as a child, whilst gazing upon a harbor steeped in a rich history of boatbuilding.
Living with Furniture
Designing a Dream
At age 32, Michelle was at a crossroads, searching for something that would fuel her creativity and passion for helping people. “It was time to reinvent myself,” she says. She wanted to help people enjoy living through color, texture, shadow, and light. As a child, she says, “I organized my closet by color and methodically placed each toy in the perfect position.” She knew she wanted to be a residential interior designer. Several months later, she applied to a design school in Chicago.
“While in design school, I got on the mailing list of several catalogs. I was bombarded with design and home decor magazines, but I remember getting the Thos. Moser catalog. I was blown away. I didn’t know furniture could look like that. When I received that catalog, I began flipping through the pages and created a list of everything I wanted for my dream home. I marked up the catalog with little tags on the top as I didn’t want to ruin the pages with ear folds, and I even had a plastic sleeve over it to protect it,” she says.
“In my first rendering class, the professor said we should bring our favorite catalogs to class to find inspiration. I knew the Thos. Moser catalog was the one I wanted to bring and the Lolling Chair was the perfect specimen to use for my study. I carried my Thos. Moser catalog with me back and forth all semester for inspiration. I just loved the form and playing around with it. I remember the first sketch was in charcoal. It was terrible, smeared, raw, and looked nothing like the finessed form I saw on the page. The next one was in pencil, and I remember adding different layers, textures, and color, and by the time we got to the final rendering, I still really loved the chair.”
Above: Lolling Chair & Ottoman with the Square End Table with Drawer
With each line she sketched and retraced, she deepened her connection to her brother and his passion for woodworking and furniture design. “My brother, Ryan, was a furniture student at the Rhode Island School of Design while I was in design school, and I knew he would love to see the Thos. Moser designs, too,” says Michelle. “I thought it would keep him motivated about furniture design and to believe that something like this could be his future… it worked! I remember telling my husband I was sending him the catalog, and he said, “You’re not going to send your brother some furniture catalog, are you? He’s going to get made fun of.” Michelle says, ” I sent it anyway. When Ryan received it, he called me and said, “I got this really fancy catalog.” I said I know, I sent it to you. Ryan geeked out over the designs just as much as I did. As young designers, it gave us something new and exciting to connect over.”
As time passed, Michelle eventually started her own design company, and her brother followed his dream of furniture-making. Over the years, their family suffered significant heartaches and celebrated incredible achievements. Through all this, Michelle and her brother have held on to their mutual passion for fine furniture and design. “It says a lot about your company that my family’s shared joy and influence of design came from that catalog, and we’re still talking about it some 20 years later. I still get a kick out of thinking about my brother carrying around that catalog on campus and taking it into the woodshop. It’s crazy how life is and how powerful memories can be," says Michelle. There is never the right time or "enough money," but there are incredible memories of her brother surrounding that catalog and the hours spent putting pencil to paper as she manifested her dream chair. "The form and the look of the Lolling Chair are just timeless," says Michelle.
“It says a lot about your company that my family’s shared joy and influence of design came from that catalog and we’re still talking about it some 20 years later.”
Now, two years later, Michelle says, “I received the new catalog in the mail and instantly had a smile on my face. The cover looks exactly like 'my chair.' She says, “What’s not to love? Considering I purchased the chair and ottoman “sight unseen,” which I have never done before with any furniture, I was pleasantly surprised at the comfort and elegance in real life. Sometimes you sit on a piece of furniture, and after a while, it’s not comfortable; that’s not the case with this beauty. I love the brass bar mechanism that raises and lowers the seatback, and the adjustable neck-support pillow is the icing on the cake. I have my Lolling nestled in a corner near my fireplace. It’s cozy and comfortable, and it’s my favorite place to unwind. I still can’t believe she’s mine!” “Talking with everyone at Moser and taking a trip down memory lane is the best thing that has happened to me this year. The Lolling Chair had been sitting in my cart for over a month, and I’m glad I reached out to you guys. It’s been my Christmas miracle.”
Design
The Anticlastic Curve
In 2014, aboard a ferry from Portland, Maine, Thomas and Mary Moser headed 185 nautical miles northeast to Nova Scotia. On the morning they were due to disembark from the ferry, they sat down to enjoy a light breakfast. But it wasn’t the scenery that caught his eye; it was the simple cafeteria chair he was sitting in. The steel and plastic chair felt as though it molded to conform to Thomas’s back. “It wasn’t bad looking, but it was strictly industrial and not very well-made. However, it was incredibly comfortable, particularly in the way it captured my back. That was what impressed me,” recounts Thomas.
Above: Mary Moser on their trip to Nova Scotia.
The chair was incredibly comfortable, particulary in the way it captured my back. That was what impressed me. -Thomas Moser
Above: Auburn Stool in cherry
A Chair Inspired by Ferry Rides & Pringles Several months later, Thomas and Mary visited an exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum, and Thomas noticed another chair featuring a similar curvature to the back. The shape, known as an anticlastic curve, is created when two curvatures move in opposite directions from a given point. The convex curve, which arches upwards, runs along the longitudinal plane. In contrast, the concave curve, which dips downward, runs along the perpendicular plane, creating a shape that moves from its center in opposite directions, horizontally and vertically.
Thomas took time to thoroughly digest this extraordinary shape, especially when he noticed it in everyday items, from jewelry to architecture and even Pringles! He began sketching a design he hoped would ultimately transpire into a wooden chair offering the same flexible experience as the plastic cafeteria chair. When applied to the backrest of a chair, Thomas discovered that the anticlastic curve perfectly mirrors the curvature of the human back. Supporting the lumbar in two directions, the chair’s solid wood back sits below the shoulder blade and terminates just above the lower back, creating a chair that indeed mimics the flexibility Thomas found in the plastic chair.
To create this shape from solid wood, three staves of wood are joined together, clamped in place, and allowed to cure overnight. From here, the rough form of the anticlastic curve begins to appear through refined handwork. When the chair's back has received its final touches, the craftsperson perfects the fit into the legs, creating a sweeping monolithic structure that appears as though it is sculpted from a single piece of wood.
The Anticlastic Curve: Unexpected Inspiration. A Pringle may be the last thing that comes to mind when thinking of design inspiration. However, when popped from a can, the similarities are striking. It’s hard to pinpoint the true inspiration that would breathe life into the Auburn chair’s design and its anticlastic back— perhaps it was divine intervention, a lifetime of studying familiar shapes and forms, or the perfect lunchtime accompaniment. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is what Thomas saw in the metal and plastic cafeteria chair. But, for a chair that Thomas designed in his eighties, he honed in on this vision and created perhaps, in his words, “My most comfortable solid wood chair yet.”
Above: Auburn Chair, Eastward Table, & Wing Hall Table
Design
Building Beyond Time
“I was overwhelmed by the amount of tools he had,” Nate Blackwell, craftsman at Thos. Moser, since 2023, recalls. As he and his father unlatched the door to his grandfather’s woodshop, they discovered stacks of old woodworking books with dog-eared pages and scribbled notes. The walls were lined with an encyclopedic collection of perfectly placed hand tools. Power tools and machines stood frozen in place from the last time they had been used, and piles of rough-sawn lumber were stacked against the walls. Nate’s grandfather, a self-taught woodworker, was enamored with the Shaker style of furniture making. He loved the simplicity of the designs and prescribed to the Shaker notion of using local wood, often building pieces in apple wood, maple, or oak. “The more character, knots or wormholes, the wood had, the more likely my grandfather was to use it,” he says. His grandfather was a prolific furniture maker, building chairs, dressers, side tables, bookshelves, and the dining table for his home.
It's about making something out of nothing... creating form out of raw materials. -Nate Blackwell
During the early 1970s, his grandfather joined a local woodworking club that met in New Gloucester, Maine. The club would get together every month to have coffee and talk shop. It was in this group that Nate’s grandfather met Tom Moser. Tom’s business was still in its infancy at this point, and, ever the student, Tom saw the woodworking club as a place to learn new techniques and approaches to working with wood. Nate recalls a story his aunt shared with him, saying, “There was a trestle table that my grandfather was working on and just couldn’t get it right. He mentioned this project in the woodworking group, and Tom told him to bring it to the Grange Hall shop, and they would work together. As Tom had more space and tools, Nate’s grandfather happily accepted the offer, and they finished the table together.” Nate doesn’t recall the extent of Tom and his grandfather’s friendship, but knows that the few times he spent in the Grange Hall shop and those woodworking club meetings were meaningful to him.
It's not just about the technique—its about the artistry in shaping it.
Above: The Grange Hall Workshop in New Gloucester
Nate’s journey into woodworking began in his grandfather’s workshop. “I grew up in my grandfather’s wood shop, mostly just bothering him,” Nate laughs. “I remember holding things while he clamped or did a glue-up, but I was mostly sneaking away from my parents to get an A&W Root Beer. We were never allowed to have a soda as children, but when I helped my grandfather, he would let us have a soda. The smell of root beer still brings me right back to my grandfather’s shop.”
Above: Nate works on shaping the arm of the Thos. Moser Continuous Arm Chair
After spending a decade in agriculture, Nate decided to carve out a new career. He still wanted a job that allowed him to work with his hands, and when the opportunity at Thos. Moser arose; he knew he had to take it. As an integral part of the chair department, Nate creates the iconic arms of the Thos. Moser Continuous Arm Chair, in addition to building a vast catalog of chairs and benches. “It’s almost like sculpture,” he says, drawing from his background in 3D art. “There’s something incredibly satisfying about working with your hands to bring out a shape in the wood. You take a raw material, something square, and turn it into something graceful and functional. It’s not just about the technique—it’s about the artistry in shaping it.”
Above: Photographs of his grandfather's furniture.
When his grandfather passed, Nate salvaged much of the wood and hand tools from his shop, storing them away for a future he could barely imagine. “I never would have guessed I’d end up using his tools like this,” he says, “But here I am, using them to make furniture in the same style that inspired my grandfather’s work.”
Above: A small collection of his grandfather's tools.
The tools, the furniture, the techniques—they all carry a piece of him, and I want to keep that alive. -Nate Blackwell
While it’s clear Nate is passionate about his craft, his emotional connection to his grandfather's tools runs deep. “Using his tools, it feels like he’s right there with me,” Nate shares. “They’re not just tools—they’re part of his legacy. When I look at the furniture I’m making now, I can’t help but think about how proud he’d be.” That feeling of connection extends beyond the tools themselves. For Nate, the idea of heirlooms has taken on a new meaning. “I’ve got pieces of his furniture in my home. My parents have more,” Nate says. “It’s not just furniture—it’s history. It’s his history, and now it’s my history.”
Every piece I build, I think about how it might one day be passed down. Its about leaving a lasting mark—just like my grandfather did.
For Nate, working at Thomas Moser isn’t just a job; it’s a continuation of a family tradition. “I’m building furniture that’s going to last,” he says with a smile. “And I’m doing it with the same tools my grandfather used. It’s like we’re building together, even though he’s been gone for years.” That sense of a family legacy is not lost on him. “When I signed my first piece of furniture here, it felt amazing,” he says. “Not just because I was proud of the work, but because my name is now on something that could last generations—just like the pieces my grandfather made.”
Above: Nate's Grandmother and Grandfather.
Design
The Shape of Wood
Curved wood in furniture—seen in table aprons, bed frames, and chair crests—is crafted through cutting, steam-bending, or lamination techniques.
Design
The Thos. Moser Continuous Arm Chair
When Tom Moser embraced furniture making, he revived the Windsor chair with a modern design that became iconic for Thos. Moser.
Design
The Harpswell Chair
Tom and Mary Moser didn’t fall in love with Maine the typical way. Before the arrival of their second son, they packed themselves, a tent, and a few provisions into their car for a long weekend. Being unfamiliar with the area and exhausted from a day of driving, they pulled over for the night and pitched their tent. Much to their chagrin, they awoke to a man’s voice saying they were blocking his driveway. Instead of being curt, the gracious man helped them move their tent aside and invited them to stay. They stayed for four days, and nearly thirty years later, they planted their roots on a spit of land not far from where they landed on that first trip to Maine.
Above: Table Minimus - Oval & Harpswell Arm Chair with Back.
Developing A Classic Around 1990, Tom strolled down the driveway to his Harpswell workshop and began working on a new chair design. He created a round chair with a quarter-round back, but he wasn’t happy with the initial result. After a bit more tinkering, the rounded seat became a U-shaped seat. “Eventually, I added a curve and tapered back leg,” Tom recalls. “And one day, I discovered that the round cafeteria chair I began making in my shop a few years before had morphed into this very pleasing piece.” The new design’s most magnificent appeal was an exuberant back carved from a solid piece of wood that intentionally displays the wood's natural beauty, where no two are alike, revealing the mark of an heirloom. Eventually, the chair would incorporate an upholstered slip seat that rests directly in the chair’s frame and an often-requested upholstered back.
Above: Tom Moser in his workshop.
From Humble Beginnings to Dignified Design
Aptly named after the location of his home studio, the Harpswell Chair was introduced in 1992 and became an instant classic. Its modest cafe chair design and refined details bring quiet distinction to any space. The versatility of the durable Harpswell Chair has made it a favored choice for countless family dining rooms, community colleges, and Ivy League libraries. In 2008, the Harpswell Arm Chair would be selected as Papal seating and chosen as the signature piece to grace the George W. Bush Presidential Center in 2013, where, during the dedication, five living presidents would be comfortably seated.
Above: The Harpswell Chair at the opening of the Presidential Library and the chair for the Papal visit.
Incorporated in 1758, the town of Harpswell boasts the longest coastline of any town in Maine. This rugged coastline, purchased with a pound of tobacco and a gallon of rum, has cultivated generations of self-sufficient families who worked with their hands; fishers, farmers, shipwrights, and now, a furniture maker. From the humble beginnings of a simple cafe chair to a dignified design sought after by Popes and Presidents, the Harpswell Chair is a natural fit for every home and any occasion. The expressed growth rings found in the crest celebrate the weathered-tested years of a strong tree and embody the spirit of a community nestled along this section of granite coastline known as Harpswell. Tom and Mary Moser at their home in Harpswell.
Design
The New Gloucester Rocker
A rocking chair emanates nostalgia, a sense of comfort, relaxation, and a lulling quality made for front porches, tucked-away corners, and quiet nurseries. Seemingly encoded in our DNA, this gentle rocking motion has immediate palliative effects. Perhaps that is why, in 1982, a serendipitous commission allowed Tom to explore a design he had been toying with for several years.
Above: Thomas Moser hanging the sign of our first Portland Showroom.
At this time, we had our showroom in Portland on Cumberland Ave., and there was a wonderful antique store in the Old Port section of town. Well, I walked by the shop window one day, and there was a Windsor-style fan-back chair with a narrow crest and a wide seat. Almost all Windsor chairs are the opposite,” says Thomas Moser. “Well, this fan-back Windsor was the reverse; I had never seen anything like that before, and I can’t say as if I have ever seen anything quite like it again,” says Tom. “That chair really influenced me.”
There were several forms Tom could draw inspiration from; a Shaker ladder-back rocker, the Boston Rocker, Salem, or mission-style rockers of California. The most well-known style in New England was the Boston Rocker. Contrary to its name, the first Boston rocker was built in Connecticut around 1825 by a man named Lambert Hitchcock. Hitchcock’s design took the Boston chair, a traditional fan-back style chair, and placed it upon two runners or rockers. The Boston rocker is most notable for its ornate carvings or floral paintings along the crest and decorative turned legs and spindles attached to a curved arm. The Salem rocker followed the Boston rocker in design with a slightly lower back and more angled seat.
“I thought,” Tom says, “Why not do a Boston rocker where the spindles come into a smaller crest rail and engulf the sitter?” Other notable refinements to Tom’s “Boston Style” rocker include the floating arm. “I wasn’t particularly interested in creating a sack-back style rocking chair. That is to say, I didn’t want the arms to attach to the back of the chair,” he says. To maintain the light and airy profile, he designed a floating arm attached by wedged tenons to the front three spindles that barely touch the back, giving the illusion that the component is floating atop the spindles. As the chair needed to be big enough to hold a full-grown man, Tom knew he needed to create a wide seat. The seat of the Boston Rocker was narrow and scrolled. “The Salem Rocker had a much flatter and wider seat, and aesthetically, I was drawn to this simpler design,” says Tom. The final refinement to the design was the rockers themselves. Many early rocking chairs had short and thin rockers. Creating a balanced, sculptural, and robust rocker was paramount for a chair designed to withstand years of use. “The Shakers had what was called a suicide rocker. It was a ladder-back chair with very short and thin rockers, and if you went back far enough, you would topple over backward. So the detail in our design brings the chair back to the center, preventing that from happening. This detail exists on all our rockers,” notes Tom.
“Since the chair was designed and built in our New Gloucester workshop, we called it the New Gloucester Rocker, and it became one of our signature pieces,” says Tom.
The rocking chair, in its somewhat modern-day form, dates back to the early 1700s when the rockers were formed by attaching the blades from ice skates to the bottom of a chair. Since then, the rocking chair, a uniquely American design, has come a long way from its primitive beginnings. Today’s forms are modern and sleek, and complement any decor, creating a timeless heirloom for a contemporary space.
Living with Furniture
The Aging Process of Cherry
Cherry furniture deepens from light salmon to rich reddish-brown within months, its unique finish inviting a tactile connection through time and touch.
Living with Furniture
Natural Variations Found in North American Hardwood
Discover the natural variations in North American hardwood—aging color, grain patterns, and mineral deposits—that make each Thos. Moser piece unique.
Home Tours
Coastal Cottage Offers Modern Retreat
The moment you turn down the nearly half-mile private driveway to the Jennings cottage, you know you are about to experience something magical.
Design
More Than Ink on Wood
Mason Faucher’s eight-year journey at Thos. Moser, starting in 2015, showcases his evolution from a woodworking graduate to a skilled, versatile craftsman.
Design
A Golden Guide to Interior Design
The Golden Ratio, often seen as the 60/30/10 rule, guides interior design to create balanced, cohesive, and inviting spaces.
Living with Furniture
How to Clean Your Hardwood Furniture
We asked Marc LaBonte, head of furniture maintenance, for expert tips on caring for and cleaning our hardwood furniture.
Home Tours
Living With Intention
For Anne and George, home has always been more than a place to live—it’s a reflection of their values: a space shaped by experience, intentional design, and appreciation for craftsmanship. Their journey with Thomas Moser began in 2005, almost accidentally, when Anne stepped into the Georgetown showroom, drawn to a Vita Chair she saw in the window. Until that day, she had associated the brand with traditional Windsor styles—“Beautiful, but not quite my style,” she admits.
But this chair was different: sculptural, graceful, quietly strong. “I was smitten,” Anne recalls, “This was not just a piece of furniture, but a work of art.” She wasn’t expecting to find the centerpiece of their future home that day—but sometimes, the most meaningful connections are the ones we don’t plan.
"The interior finish is a vessel to showcse the owner's carefully curated art and furniture." -Charlie Moore, Moore Architects, PC.
As with the Vita Chair, their home began with a chance encounter. One day, while out for a drive at the height of the pandemic, the couple spotted a modest property for sale near the Potomac River. The location was prime, and the original house was charming, but it was cramped, dark, and outdated. Enter Charlie Moore of Moore Architects PC. Together with the owners, the team of architects, designers, and builders assembled by Moore Architects set out to create a new home that would do justice to the lot and the owners’ intentions. The goals were to design a dwelling that was large enough without intruding on the neighborhood; to combine modern forms with traditional local styling; and to provide interior spaces for the owners’ sizable art and furniture collections. The resulting collaboration gave birth to an award-winning 4800 square-foot house that serves as the perfect stage for those collections—and for their Thos. Moser furniture, in particular.
Above: The open dining area and kitchen feature the Aria Chairs, Oval Ring Dining Table, and Coal Shovel Stools. Below: A custom Crescent Side Hutch in figured maple, Coal Shovel Stools, and an Edo Studio Chair in cherry.
“Their favorite Moser piece? “That’s tough,” says Anne. “We really love them all, but for sheer elegance, I’d say the Aria chairs. They’re exquisite.”
Primary Bedroom: Vita Bed and Vita Side Cube in cherry.
Working with the Georgetown showroom, the couple gradually filled the new house with a remarkable collection of Thos. Moser furniture. Here, old and new Moser pieces blend seamlessly with family heirlooms and with what Anne refers to as “souvenirs” from their years abroad. “I wanted furniture that would stand up to our art and the Moore-designed interiors, without overwhelming or feeling trendy,” says Anne.
"What I love about Thos. Moser: I love the beautiful materials, the craftsmanship—the joinery! It’s all about making good things that last."
The living room, grounded by rich walnut tones, is warm and invites conversation. In the dining room, a pair of antique French candlesticks feels right at home on the walnut Oval Ring table. A custom-figured maple case sits casually below an early twentieth-century Hawaiian aquatint and across the room from an old family cedar chest. The loft, once just extra space, is now a sanctuary, filled with a Vita Three Place Sofa, Element Credenza, and Cumberland Chair, NYPL Branch Swivel Chair, and the iconic Chaise. In the small spare bedroom, Anne’s mother’s portrait gazes down on the Studio Bed in cherry. The overall effect is interiors that are meaningful, harmonious, and quietly elegant.
When asked what guided their furniture selections, Anne explained that her initial criterion was mainly cosmetic: Does it look good? Does it fit the space? “It’s a curse,” she confesses, referring to her connoisseur’s eye. She spent her formative years in Europe, where, as a child, she accompanied her parents to countless galleries, palaces, cathedrals, and gardens. “Too many,” she says. “My mother was a great enthusiast of art and architecture!”
“Once you buy your first Thomas Moser piece, it becomes nearly impossible to turn back. The quality, the design, the philosophy behind each creation—it all becomes an essential part of how you experience your home,” says Anne.
Above: Custom Crescent Dresser in figured maple.
The furniture also had to meet the couple’s high standards of quality and comfort–plus pass the “legacy” test: Would their daughter want the furniture someday? This past fall, they had the chance to answer that question when they offered their original dining table and chairs to their daughter and son-in-law. “What a pleasure it was to sit with them this past Thanksgiving at the very same Moser table and chairs that our daughter grew up with,” says Anne.
What’s next for the couple? Nothing too ambitious, they say. They hope to travel and see more of their family and friends, who are scattered here and abroad. “But it’s so nice to have a place to come home to, filled with the things you love.” Including, of course, that first Vita Chair.
Design
East Meets West
Our Eastward collection honors George Nakashima, whose clean designs revealed wood's raw beauty and deeply shaped our design ethos.
Living with Furniture
Why We Choose Solid Wood
Choose solid wood furniture for lasting beauty, durability, and eco-friendly appeal. Discover why it’s the smart choice for your home.
Design
The Mower That Moved Us
In a field along Cobb’s Hill Road, across from the old vestry that served as Thos. Moser’s first showroom rests a rusted 1800s sickle bar mower. Frozen in place, it harkens back to a sweltering day in late August when a farmer sat upon its cast-iron seat, guiding a team of plow horses to harvest his final crop of hay. Throughout New Gloucester, country roads are dotted with these snapshots into the past. A glass gallon jar that once held haymaker's punch sits propped against the wheel of the tractor. Along these roads, we catch a glimpse of history when men and women worked the land, developing communities of self-sufficient farmers and craftspeople who settled into this landscape.
Incorporated in 1774, New Gloucester, Maine, was a town comprised mostly of early settlers from Gloucester, Mass. Hence the name “New” Gloucester. Drawn to the rich soil, New Gloucester developed into a prosperous farming community. Resplendent with orchards, gardens, and wide-spreading elms, the early settlers utilized the land and its natural resources to support a growing population—including six sawmills, two tanneries, and gristmills.
The Rise of "Working Comfortably." In the 1850s, as New Gloucester began to grow from its initial sixty inhabitants to nearly thirty times its size, the Industrial Revolution was taking shape, making significant advancements in technology for the farming community. Until the mid-1800s, farmers were still manually harvesting hay with sickles and scythes. The advent of the sickle bar mower was the first step in making the hot and dusty work of haying by hand less brutal, more efficient, more productive, and even more comfortable. Lending to these newfound machines’ comfort and productivity was a flat wooden board for a seat. In the mid-1850s, manufacturers began adding cast-iron supports to the wooden board, and by the 1860s, almost all tractors had seats made entirely of cast iron. The earliest version of the cast iron seat was solid— meaning they held water during inclement weather and became blistering hot as the tractor sat in the mid-day sun. Born from necessity, tractor companies began designing seats with holes for drainage and ventilation— creating a form of agrarian art. Artisans created the seat by first carving the shape and design in solid wood, and then, from that wooden mold, the seat was cast in iron.
Over 100 years later, the purity and austerity of the traditional handwork in these iron seats captivated Tom Moser. In 1978, Tom began carving the first iteration of the High Stool, which he called the “studio stool.” Made from two or three, twelve-quarter blocks, the seat, cut from the same log to ensure color and grain match, reflects the old tractor seats and western saddles’ defining characteristics. The hand-sculpted seat features a rounded cantle, the back edge of the seat, and a gentle and smooth pommel to cradle the occupant. Unlike its industrial cousins, the High Stool makes no use of metal screws or bolts to hold the seat in place—the old iron seats would be attached to the tractor using a metal bolt and washer placed through the middle of the seat! In the High Stool, tapered ash legs, used for their tensile strength, pierce through the bottom of the seat and join the top with a wedged tenon made from either cherry or walnut, creating a conscious design moment. Once the tenon has dried, it is sanded to match the seat’s grade; the beautiful joinery creates a secure hold and unimpeded seat. The sculpted movement on the top of the stool travels over the rounded edges to the seat’s underside, where an inverted cut in front highlights the dramatic rise of the pommel.
There is an inherent beauty to old farm machinery. Perhaps it’s the way the sunlight strikes the rusty hay rake and iron seat resting unmoved for decades in an open field. It’s a reminder of days long gone, when agriculture and hand-crafted items dominated the economy, and families made their living from the fertile land. In many ways, we have come back to celebrate this way of life that honors the local community and its farmers and values the sustainable beauty of a handmade piece of furniture that gets better with time and is made to be used for generations.
Design
Great-Grandpa Joe's Bookshelf
Joseph Moser’s bookshelf, simple in design, stands as a cherished heirloom symbolizing four generations of family history and love.
Design
The Birth of an Icon
Thos. Moser’s chair, crafted with the NYPL, embodies the Library’s mission and vision, transcending furniture to become a lasting symbol.
Design
Inside the Thos. Moser Workshop
Step inside the 80,000 sq ft Thos. Moser workshop in Auburn, Maine, where every piece of our furniture begins its journey.
Design
"Hang On!"
On a hazy morning, in the early 1950s, with an ocherous sun rising above fields of dew-drenched corn, Tom and his cousin tore down a dirt road on a 1945 Harley Davidson Knucklehead motorcycle. As a kid from the city, Tom relished the weeks he spent out on his Aunt and Uncle’s farm in Wisconsin during the summer. Tom’s younger cousin, Walter, as he recalls, was a “wild kid.” The two of them would spend their mornings blazing past neighboring farms on their way into town to run errands for his Aunt.
Reminiscing on the days of riding the motorcycle with his cousin, Tom says, “Walter would let'er rip. It seemed like we were going 100 miles per hour down these dirt roads, and it would scare the living daylights out of me. I’d wrap one arm around his torso and my other hand, white-knuckled, grasping the chrome panic bar. I finally convinced Walter to let me drive the bike one day, and I was even worse. We had a hell of a time on that thing.”
Thomas Moser as a young man and the motorcycle and seat that inspired his Bowback Stool Design
Like the Harley and Davidson families, Tom and his cousin Walter were enchanted by new forms of transportation. Tom, no stranger to crafting, even from a young age, says,” I always felt the compulsion to build and create something real and physical with my hands, and I was always drawing and sketching on any paper I could find. I built a glider out of two-by-fours and fell through a greenhouse while attempting to glide from the garage roof to the backyard. Every kid had a scooter made of an old, separated roller skate nailed to an orange crate, but mine had to be painted with a tin-can headlight and a mechanical brake. This activity was constant.”
A constant dictation of Tom’s designs is by drawing upon historical antecedents and pushing them a step further. The look of the Bowback Stool is no stranger to this formula. The signature backrest of the stool is a wooden permutation of cousin Walter’s motorcycle panic bar. Recalling the hours spent gripping this bar while racing down dirt roads, Tom employed a laminated rail — constructed with layers of flitch cut veneer to mimic the convex curve of the motorcycle’s chrome rail. The design includes four slender spindles attached to the rail with our signature wedged tenons, providing superior strength and beauty to support the rail.
The seat draws inspiration from the prized and indispensable milking stools of the early 19th and 20th centuries. The seats of many early milking stools were carved from elm and featured three legs made from ash. The ingenuity of the three-legged stool provided stability on uneven ground and seated comfort from the back-breaking work of milking the herd in the field twice a day. As time passed, the milking stool’s look transformed from solid seats to seats with a pommel, and even to a half-moon-shaped wooden seat with three tapered pegged legs, complete with mortise-and-tenon joinery. Like the legs of the Bowback Stool, the legs of the milking stool pierced through the top and sanded smoothly to match the seat’s surface. The Bowback Stool is indeed the product of an all-American design inspired by an active and robust childhood. Wisconsin’s country roads indeed take our Bowback Stool back to the place where it all began, at least in Tom Moser’s creative mind and capable hands.
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Design
Our History
Very few of us can remember a turning point in our careers as vividly as Thomas Moser did. It was a cool September morning in 1971 as the brilliant late summer sun beat down on a table he had just built and brought up from his dingy cellar workshop. Freshly finished with boiled linseed oil and hand-rubbed wax, the table practically glowed. A friend's wife stopped by, saw the table, and offered to buy it on the spot. It was just one moment, but it was also an epiphany in the truest sense of the world. In an instant, at age thirty-six, Tom knew he had enough artistry to produce something people would appreciate and buy. It wasn't long after that that he said to his wife, Mary," I am going to quit teaching. I am going to make things out of wood." She fully agreed.
Thomas Moser standing outside the Grange Hall in New Gloucester, Maine.
A Leap of Faith
In 1972, Tom left his tenured teaching position at Bates College and, with his wife Mary by his side, opened a small woodworking shop in an old Grange Hall in New Gloucester, Maine. They called it Thos. Moser Cabinetmaker. There was no formal business plan, only an abiding love of wood and a belief in honest craftsmanship. From the beginning, each piece carried a promise—a satisfaction guarantee reflected Tom’s conviction that furniture, when made by hand with care and integrity, should last a lifetime. By 1973, with Mary Moser at the helm of marketing, among a laundry list of other duties, Thos. Moser placed its first advertisement in Down East magazine and The New Yorker, introducing a wider audience to furniture built with purpose, restraint, and heart.
A Vision for the Future
Throughout the 1970s and through the 1980s, the workshop quietly established its foundation. Innovation was never pursued for its own sake—it existed only to serve integrity and craft. In 1977, Thos. Moser began hand-signing every piece, a tradition that endures today as a mark of accountability and pride. That same year, Tom designed the Continuous Arm Chair, a form both sculptural and inviting, which became one of the company’s most enduring designs.
As demand grew for Tom's designs, so did the workshop. The first showroom outside of Maine opened in the early 1980s, and in 1987, the company moved into a larger workshop in Auburn, Maine, which remains our home base to this day.
A Name Known Beyond Maine
By the 1990s and 2000s, Thos. Moser furniture reached far beyond New England. Tom’s son, David, joined the design process, introducing collections such as Vita, Pasadena, Wing, and Chaise, while classic pieces like the Harpswell and Auburn chairs became quietly iconic for their balance, restraint, and comfort. In 2007, the company launched the Customer In Residence program, inviting customers into the workshop to build their own furniture alongside master craftspeople—a testament to the belief that making deepens connection and appreciation. Thos. Moser furniture has been requested for official ceremonies by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, chosen for presidential libraries by both Reagan and Bush, and now graces Ivy League campuses, public libraries, private schools, and homes worldwide. In 2018, the New York Public Library commissioned a chair that has become an enduring symbol of the institution.
Passing the Torch In 2016, leadership passed to the next generation when Aaron Moser was named CEO, guiding the company forward while remaining rooted in its founding principles. In 2022, Thos. Moser marked its 50th anniversary—five decades of building furniture defined by thoughtful design, traditional joinery, and individual workmanship. In January 2025, after more than half a century of family stewardship, Thos. Moser entered a new chapter under a Maine-based company that aligned with its values of craftsmanship, sustainability, and long-term vision, ensuring the work remains grounded in place and purpose.
Crafted for Generations From a single Grange Hall in New Gloucester to workshops, showrooms, and homes around the world, Thos. Moser's story is more than one of growth. It is a philosophy made tangible: that beauty lies within restraint; that integrity reveals itself over time, and that objects we live with should be built to last a lifetime.
Living with Furniture
Wood Moves
Designing furniture with solid wood demands patience and respect for its unique traits, ensuring each piece endures a lifetime with character and strength.
Living with Furniture
Five Things to Consider When Buying a Dining Chair
There’s a science to comfortable sitting. The truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all for dining seating. For some, it comes in the form of an upholstered seat that perfectly matches a favorite rug or a hand-sculpted wooden seat that tucks neatly under the edge of the table, allowing for maximum use of the room before and after meals. And for others, it’s a bench that can be pulled from the entryway or living room to accommodate a few extra guests for a neighborhood supper.
The Eastward Side Chair and Eastward Bench
Height One of the best places to look when you begin to select your dining room seating is your table itself. What is the height of your table? With this measurement, selecting or customizing seating that will perfectly place you at the table will easily fall into place. Most dining tables range in height from 28 to 31 inches. Many of our tables fit comfortably within this range at 30 inches high. Our dining chairs will average in height, from the top of the seat to the floor, from 17 to 21 inches high, leaving you with a distance from the seat to the tabletop ranging from 8 to 14 inches. The average person will find a seat-to-tabletop distance of around 10-12 inches most comfortable.
Most dining tables are 28" - 31" high. The average seat height from the floor is 17 " - 20". The average height from chair seat to table top is 10" - 12".
There are a few things to consider with these measurements. First, what is the thickness of the tabletop itself, and if there is an apron around the table, how far does that extend toward the floor? Be sure to account for these measurements, especially if you select chairs with armrests.
The Wishbone Table, Cumberland Chairs, and Cumberland Sideboard
Depth
The depth of a dining chair influences two important aspects of comfort and function: how far the chair will tuck beneath the table when not in use, and where you will naturally sit in relation to the tabletop when seated. A chair with excessive depth may prevent the chair from sliding fully under the table, while also positioning the sitter farther back than intended. In some cases, this can cause the sitter's legs to come into contact with the table’s pedestal or trestle base. Thoughtful chair proportions help ensure both comfortable seating and ease of movement around the table.
How to Select the Right Number of Chairs
Determining how many chairs can comfortably fit around a dining table begins with understanding proper spacing. As a general guideline, allow approximately 28 inches between the centers of adjacent seats to give each guest adequate personal space and freedom of movement. It is also important to maintain at least 2 inches between chairs so seating does not feel crowded. For chairs placed at the ends of the table, allow roughly 14 inches from the seat center to the tabletop edge to create a balanced and comfortable arrangement. Using these measurements helps ensure the table feels welcoming, functional, and proportioned for gathering.
The Boat Top Table and Harpswell Side Chairs with back.
A Chair's Footprint The chair’s footprint is the width and depth of the chair. For some chairs, especially if they have a splayed or bowed leg, this measurement will include the furthest two reaching points of the legs. When deciding how many chairs to place along the length of the table, it’s helpful to know the width of the chairs so you can be sure there's enough clearance underneath without bumping into each other or the table's base. If the chairs touch when tucked underneath, your guests can feel cramped. Generally, allow 28 inches from the center of the seat to the next to comfortably accommodate most people or at least 2 inches between chairs. For chairs at the end of the table, allow 14 inches from the seat center to the end of the table.
Upholstery: The Softer Side of Dining Chairs Upholstered chairs offer a variety of ways to express one's style. They can be a wonderful way to tie colorful elements of the room together or offer a neutral palette for the eyes to rest. A few of our chairs, Aria and Harpswell, offer upholstered cushions for added comfort. Our fabric selections range from fine leather, like our full-grain Riverside, ideal for heavy to medium use, to some of our most durable upholstery materials.
The Pasadena Side Chair and Aria Arm Chair
Arm Chairs and Side Chairs
Many of our chairs come as both side and arm chairs. If you prefer your chairs to sit fully under the table top, we recommend choosing a table design without an apron. Two of our favorite armchairs that do slide underneath our tables without an apron are the Harpswell chair and the Eastward Chair. For a sleeker companion to an armchair, our side chair offers the same exquisite design and style. Another consideration when choosing chairs is the difference between the table height and the overall chair height. The overall height of your chair is measured from the top of the crest to the floor. How high is the crest of the chair in comparison to the top of the table? Unless you are selecting stools as your seating, you’ll want the crest of the chair to be roughly 1 inch to 2 inches higher than your tabletop, giving visual intrigue to your dining set.
The Intervale Table, Continuous Arm Chair, and Freeport Bench
Alternative Seating Beyond the classic dining chair, you have options. Benches and stools offer an alternative to traditional seating and can be moved into another room when additional seating is required. Many of our benches and stools seamlessly pair with our dining tables and are customized to fit your dining situation. Our smaller, studio-sized chairs and 18" stools can easily slide underneath the table when they are not in use, and benches, like our Edo, Eastward, Freeport, and Vita, can be moved into a living room or hallway, allowing for flexible use of your furniture when it is not needed at the dining room table.
The Eastward Bench and Trestle Table
When you begin to think about adding the perfect chair to your space, remember these basic guidelines: height, overall footprint, and upholstery. Know your style and know your space. With these guidelines in your back pocket and our team of knowledgeable furniture specialists willing to help you, the hardest part will be deciding which one to choose.
Home Tours
Designed for a Life at Sea
With clean lines and timeless designs, our furniture feels at home in a traditional farmhouse, a highly curated art collector’s house, or, in this case, a 55-foot yacht. It perfectly accentuates the style and aesthetic of the space it occupies, from residential to commercial to custom. Aboard their Hinckley yacht, Captain Ann and Skipper Pete take to the Atlantic’s azure waters each year and travel north along the eastern seaboard from Florida to Bar Harbor, Maine. One of their many stops this year would include anchoring in South Freeport, Maine, and we would make a special delivery.
When Captain Ann and Skipper Pete were looking to replace a few interior elements within the cabin, they called upon the craftspeople and designs they knew and loved. Given the cabin’s configuration, they were looking for pieces that would maintain the open and airy environment of the upper, glass-enclosed level—the one requirement: the chairs needed to be incredibly comfortable, as they would serve as their evening lounge chairs. While combing through our catalog, the Harpswell Arm Chair caught their eye. While not typically thought of being a lounge chair, the contemporary lines and thick upholstered back and seat cushions of the Harpswell Arm Chairs were a perfect fit for Ann and Pete.
To give these Harpswell Chairs a signature look, they chose the same custom Spinneybeck leather that matched the boat’s new banquette. To elevate their feet after a long day on the water, they decided to pair the arm chairs with the Wing Ottoman- creating the perfect ocean lounge chair. The stability and durability, coupled with the height, weight, and comparatively small footprint compared to lounge chairs or sofas, made the Harpswell chairs and Wing Ottoman ideal for their ocean home. The cherry’s warmth illuminates the space, and in time, it will patina, matching the rich woodwork found throughout the cabin.
Once we brought the pieces aboard, it was, in true boating style, cause for celebration. Skipper Pete, donning a vibrant Hawaiian shirt with an antipasti platter in hand and a whirring blender in the galley containing tart, citrusy refreshments to christen the new arrivals, invited us aboard to take in the brilliant pastel sunset. Here, Skipper Pete regaled us with his travels aboard this boat, the welcoming and memorable people and ports he has met along the way. We shared the same sentiment while watching the sun dip just below the pines- how lucky we are to share in the warm company and stories of our extended Moser family.
If you have a great story or pictures to share of how you live with your Thos. Moser, we invite you to connect with us. We would love to hear from you.
Living with Furniture
Our Materials
Selecting the right materials for our pieces is essential. We source only the finest-quality lumber, fabrics, leathers, and finishes, and put considerable effort into building relationships with partners whose values and quality align with our own. The wood, fabric, and leather we choose define not just the look of a piece, but how it ages, feels, and lives with you over time. Thos. Moser sources only the finest lumber, textiles, and hides, partnering with suppliers whose standards align with our dedication to durability and beauty.
Wood Species As woodworkers, we consider our materials inseparable from the environment. There is no substitute for the character of the wood that comes from a mature tree. Each is a product of its unique habitat, and the grain, color, markings, and variation are a roadmap to a tree’s story. No two trees, boards, or pieces of solid wood furniture are identical. Here are some characteristics of the wood we use at Thos. Moser. We work with premium-grade North American hardwoods — predominantly cherry and walnut. On occasion or upon request, we also work with a range of other sustainably sourced American hardwoods. Crafting furniture from different species can impart distinct characteristics. For example, the dark tone of walnut can emphasize form. At the same time, the pronounced grain of ash conjures a more tactile experience, and the darkening of cherry over time may lend a more classic, traditional look and feel.
Cherry Cherry wood is beloved for its rich tones, timeless appeal, and ability to develop a deep patina over time. In 1976, cherry became synonymous with the Moser style. Today, it remains the most popular North American hardwood we use when building our furniture. The black cherry tree thrives in cooler, northeast-facing environments with well-drained, fertile soil. With its gentle sloping hillsides, the Allegheny plateau provides the rich, well-drained soil and consistent moisture needed for a cherry tree to send out a pioneering taproot and grow to be nearly 80 ft tall.
Aging When freshly cut or sanded, cherry is pale tannish pink, as shown in the first square above. But the wood is rich in resins, particularly prussic acid, which reacts rapidly with sunlight and oxygen. Through oxidation and UV exposure, the color of cherry shifts from a light salmon to a deep, rich auburn — a transformation that can occur in as little as six months and continues to develop over time. Cherry will darken over time, whether or not it receives a coat of oil. However, when oil is applied to fresh cherry, it amplifwood'se wood's depth and color by highlighting tstructure'sucture's reflectivity, giving it a three-dimensional shimmer.
Above: Wing Three Place Sofa and Vault Table in cherry.
Walnut As the only native dark wood in North America, black walnut covers an impressive swath of land extending from southern Ontario to South Dakota, northern Florida, and eastern Texas. Our walnut trees come from the banks of the Missouri River. Here, acidic and loamy soils produce trees that can grow upwards of 2ft a year and reach over 120ft, with an equally impressive canopy when fully mature.
Aging Walnut is prized for its rich, bittersweet color range, from chocolate to deep burgundy. When finished with a coat of oil, the rich ripples of espresso and almond become immediately apparent. Unlike cherry, maple, or ash, the walnut ages and lightens in color. This process does not happen as quickly as it does with cherry, but over several years, those deep chocolate hues will mellow into an ambered brown.
Above: Intervale Extension Table and Cumberland Chairs in walnut.
Alternate Wood Species On occasion and upon request, we work with sustainably harvested ash, maple, and white oak sourced from mills in Maine, New Hampshire, and New York. The northeast produces the finest northern hardwoods in the United States, and we are pleased with the consistently superior quality of the material our trusted partners provide.
Above: Fahmida Lounge Chair in white oak.
Upholstery
At Thos. Moser, we select upholstery materials with the same care as the woods used to craft your furniture, which is why our leathers and fabrics are warrantied against material defects for five years (please note that we cannot warranty the performance of customer-provided materials). We feature our most popular upholstery and leather options on our website, and if you’re interested in additional colors, prints, or textures, or would like to supply your own fabric, we invite you to arrange a consultation with a sales associate, as the right upholstery choice ultimately reflects both your lifestyle and the aesthetic you want to create. Rub ratings, or double rubs, also known as the Wyzenbeek test, measure how well a fabric stands up to everyday wear through industry-standard abrasion testing, with lower ratings suited to decorative or light-use pieces and higher ratings indicating durability for daily living and high-traffic spaces, helping ensure the right balance of comfort, beauty, and longevity over time.
Fabric We carry a vast selection of premium quality fabrics from the world’s leading textile manufacturers. Our design-driven options ensure that you find just the right fit for your style and décor. To assess our many fabric options or to request a swatch, visit your nearest showroom or contact us to arrange a consultation with a sales associate to determine the best choice for you.
Working with Leather
We hand-select and carefully inspect our leather to ensure unrivaled quality, softness, durability, and overall character. Our Riverside line of micro-finished top-grain leather offers a sumptuous feel from day one. It is available in a contemporary color palette, making it an ideal candidate for any application. We feature our most popular leather colors in the pieces shown in our print catalogs and online. If you do not see a color you would like, or are interested in other protected or aniline leathers, please get in touch with us to arrange a consultation with a sales associate.
Above: Wing Three Place Sofa, Drift Lounge Chair & Ottoman, Vault Table, and Thos. Moser Continuous Arm Chair
Our materials shape every decision, from proportions and joinery to surfaces and finishes. Wood, fabric, and leather each carry inherent properties that guide how a piece is made and how it lives over time. When those materials are selected with care and used with intention, the result is furniture defined by clarity, restraint, and longevity—made by hand through practice and patience, and built to remain useful, relevant, and considered for generations.
Home Tours
A Cozy and Curated Coastal Farmhouse
Working with interior design firm Nicola’s Home, the couple created a three-bedroom contemporary coastal farmhouse with first-floor living, plenty of room to entertain, and spaces that captured both their personalities.
Living with Furniture
Sustainablity
If there’s a common core to all our work, it is our appreciation for the beauty and versatility of North American hardwood. Since the beginning, we have been committed to using the finest materials available. The raw materials we work with are an essential element to our furniture-making success, and as woodworkers, our materials are inseparable from the environment. Wood is a natural and noble material. One that is minimally processed from start to finish, and the color, figure, and texture cannot be replicated by artificial means. The trees we use for our furniture have a life of their own. Each board is the product of the tree’s environment—the soil, light, mineral content, and environmental stressors contribute to the wood's distinctive look and design. At Thos. Moser, we could tout our commitment to sustainability- but from our perspective, the definition falls short of what the concept means to us. Sustainability isn’t just a word, after all. It’s an ethos. It is our homage to the beauty and strength of the wood we use and the makers who transform it.
“Sustainability means building for a lifetime – or longer. It means the survival of techniques learned through centuries of craftsmanship. And it means a livelihood for the people who keep that craftsmanship alive.” – David Moser, Thos. Moser Designer
We have dedicated decades to assessing the nature of American hardwoods by running our fingers along the grain and breathing in the bright, tangy scent of newly sawn boards. There is no substitute for wood from mature trees, and we go to great lengths to ensure access to the highest-quality hardwoods that meet the needs of both current and future generations.
Where clear-cutting was once seen as a birthright, silviculture, which is the art and science of conservation and sound forest management, dictates modern-day harvesting practices. These practices control growth and health while protecting vital wildlife habitats and water resources. In forests where clear-cutting or high-grade cutting takes place, the best trees are cut, leaving behind fewer healthy trees and creating a depleted ecosystem. In uninterrupted forests, trees become crowded and compete for resources, leaving them susceptible to disease, invasive species, and decaying trees releasing their sequestered carbon back into the atmosphere.
1. Clear-Cutting: Traditional large patch clearing that removes a large stand of living and dead wood from an area. 2. Seed Tree and Shelterwood Cutting: This style of cutting leaves approximately six to twelve trees per acre in such a way as to ensure adequate natural regeneration. 3. Sustainable Forestry Cycle: A cyclical harvesting style that allows for various ages of trees to grow concurrently while mature trees are harvested, making way for smaller saplings to grow in their place.
Through selective harvesting, the forest’s biodiversity flourishes, enhancing its ability to provide clean water, sequester carbon, and provide habitat while also improving its resistance to invasive species and climate change. This means silviculture-managed forests improve species and structural diversity, as trees of multiple ages and sizes increase habitat and resilience. This process facilitates natural regeneration, where seedlings take hold under existing trees. Walking among the lush ecosystem that produces such magnificent trees, one stares up through the 70-foot canopy of mature black cherry, absorbing the smell of the earth and choir of birdsong, gaining a deeper appreciation for this wood species and the land it comes from.
To grow, a tree absorbs carbon and releases oxygen. Any carbon that is not released is stored within the tree’s fibers. Wood contains 8% moisture, and carbon accounts for 50% of the total dry weight of wood. One Thos. Moser Continuous Arm Chair weighs 12 lbs and sequesters 5.52 lbs of carbon.
The trees we use to build our furniture are at least 80 years old. When a tree reaches maturity, it can absorb roughly 48 pounds of carbon annually. Through photosynthesis, carbon is sequestered within the tree’s fibers, storing it as mass and, eventually, wood products. Carbon is released from the tree by a physical change in the tree’s composition, either through fire or decomposition. Once a tree starts to decay, it relies on oxygen and releases carbon back into the atmosphere. While the amount of carbon sequestered varies by species, wood is roughly 50% carbon by dry weight. Harvesting a mature tree and creating furniture that will last as long, if not longer than the tree, fosters a positive environmental impact by trapping carbon for generations. Our philosophy is to choose the best certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and to use them directly and respectfully. By doing so, we’re protecting one of the most resilient, diverse, and carbon-rich landscapes in the world. Since the 1950s, these forests have increased by 130%, and in Pennsylvania alone, sustainable harvesting practices have reclaimed twice as much forested land as a century ago.
Above: The Lolling Chair and Ottoman
When you invite a piece of solid wood furniture into your home, you’re celebrating the connection and harmony we find in nature. We find comfort in the synergy of craftsmanship and nature. By utilizing a respectful and sustainable harvesting process, we work to preserve the tree’s first home. Through mindful care and craft, it is then that we give the tree a second life with furniture that celebrates the beauty of the forests and rejuvenates its second home, your home, for generations.
Living with Furniture
Choosing a Bed at Thos. Moser
Discover your perfect Thos. Moser bed with our guide and enjoy the restful sleep you deserve.
Design
Ash: The Right Wood in All the Right Places
Renowned for its strength and resilience, ash wood lends both durability and comfort to Thos. Moser’s chair legs and spindle backs, blending beauty with lasting support.
Home Tours
A Place to Retire
When we think of our dream home, we make an exhaustive list of all our wants and eventually stack them against our needs and a humble sprinkling of reality. For one couple, their years of dreaming came to fruition in a perfect home.
Home Tours
A Designer's Touch: Where Craftsmanship Meets Personality
Charlie and Maureen chose Thos. Moser furniture to celebrate the craftsmanship of Maine’s artists, blending beauty with meaningful heritage.
Design
Thomas Moser - Tribute
Thomas F. Moser, founder of Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers, passed at 90. Since 1972, his mission was crafting furniture that endures and enriches life.
Design
Three Ways to Bend Wood
Curved elements define fine furniture at Thos. Moser, crafted through cutting, steam bending, and lamination for elegance and strength.
Living with Furniture
A Styled Approach to Mixing Wood Species
Discover expert tips for seamlessly blending multiple wood species to create a harmonious and stylish room design.
Living with Furniture
Selecting the Right Table for Any Space
Discover key tips and a seating guide to help you choose the perfect table for your kitchen, dining room, or versatile workspace.
Living with Furniture
The Art of Living
Nearly 35 years after first discovering Thos. Moser in a catalog, Steven and Kristin Devor have built a collection that reflects a life shared, from a Pasadena Rocker in their daughter’s nursery to pieces gathered and gifted over the years. For them, the beauty of the furniture lies not only in how it is made, but in how it becomes part of a family’s history, gaining meaning, character, and patina with time.
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