Ariele Alasko is a full-time woodworker living in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from California, Alasko started building furniture for her own apartment, shortly after she graduated from a BFA in sculpture in 2009. It swiftly grew from a fun hobby to a full time job in her 900 square foot studio.
Her material of choice for her patterned work is plaster lath, small strips of wood that come from the walls of hundred-year-old buildings in Brooklyn. Due to the constant gutting of old brownstones, there is plenty of this wood available, which she collects and cleans before applying to her designs for wall panels, table tops and head boards.
Making the most of the wood’s natural colour and patina, Alasko creates intricate patterns in her work, without the use of any stains. Each piece takes days or even weeks to complete, as every strip of wood is cut individually to attain a perfect fit, making sure the resulting panel or table top is level, smooth, and without gaps. Alasko has also become renowned for her handcrafted wooden spoons, boards and other kitchenware. You can see more beautiful images of her work, life and studio on her Instagram page.
Images via Ariele Alasko
Beautiful wood work.
I love the blog, I am glad I was nominated for the Amara Interior Blog Award because it gave the chance to discover some amazing blogs, yours being one!