Sustainability is core to The Joinery’s culture, and our annual Metamortise Award is one way we demonstrate that incredible design and zero waste can go hand in hand. This year we had ten entries for furniture designs built with nothing but bits and pieces of remnant lumber. Now in its fourth year, the creativity and craftsmanship continue to amaze.
More than a thousand of you voted for your favorite, and a clear winner emerged: the Toledo Curio Cabinet designed and built by Otto Bajnoczi and Angela Wright, shown below.
The piece is constructed primarily from cherry and incorporates Western Walnut accents, including hand-sculpted pulls integrated into the doors, and live edge drawer fronts inside the cabinet. It’s no wonder that the Toledo Curio Cabinet scored highest in innovation, design, and overall votes.
And congratulations to the lucky winner of our drawing among voters: David of Portland has selected the Mesa Centro Coffee Table as his prize. Congratulations to David – and thanks to everyone who participated!
The Builders
Otto Bajinoczi and Angela Wright, the winners of this year’s Metamortise Award, contribute greatly to The Joinery’s elite team of craftsmen. They will share the award, bragging rights, and a cash award of the retail value of their winning entry.
Otto was born and raised among a family of woodworkers in Budapest, Hungary. He studied mathematics and computer science, but his, ahem, ingrained passion for the woodshop drew him back. Otto honed his skills while running his own small business. He lived in California, Kauai and Maui before moving to Oregon in 2008 and teaming up with The Joinery, where he has made tremendous contributions ever since. He and his wife have a 3-year old daughter, Lucca.
Angela is a relative newcomer to The Joinery, coming aboard last summer. Originally from St. Louis, graduate studies in architectural design took her to Barcelona, Spain, where she fell under the spell of the city. Angela lived in Spain for nine years, where her range of activities included running her own business for interior remodels of sailboats. At The Joinery she was put under the guidance of our esteemed senior trainer – none other than Otto Bajinoczi – and the rest is, as they say . . . the 2014 Metamortise Award.
The Toledo Curio Cabinet in process: Otto and Angela glued strips of Cherry and Western Walnut together to form the laminate layers used in the braces, legs and top case.
