Robert Seliger Works

On an Oregon farm with sweeping mountain views, Robert Seliger creates some of the world’s most unique furniture art in a two-story converted horse barn. Over two decades, he pushed creative boundaries and earned a dedicated clientele. Seliger’s work was thrust into the national spotlight when his “War Vest Table” took First Place in Woodworking at the 2015 Western Design Conference. Seliger’s pieces are now collected internationally, and the artist-craftsman from Oregon is a newly-discovered master of three-dimensional art.

Seliger’s designs are often inspired by dreams and touch cultures, places and times. His award-winning “War Vest Table” was rooted in his dream of a Native American chief charging into battle.

A native of Colorado, Seliger studied architecture before honing his skills in woodworking with Sam Maloof at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, in Aspen, Colorado. In 1990, he moved to Bend, Oregon with his wife, children, and a menagerie of animals.

Creative Process

For commissioned pieces, Seliger creates an artistic interpretation of the client’s vision or idea. Hand-drawn sketches are revised and refined two or three times. This process gives the client a very unique artistic involvement in the creative process.

All Commissioned work is custom made to order. Each piece can be made any reasonable dimension that still maintains good proportions. The clients have access to finishes from our library of over 250 different finish samples made using our 12 step process. Finish samples will be FedEx'd to the client during the build process for viewing in the client;s own home using their actual interior natural light, which affects color dramatically. This is a simple process that has a time tested 100% success rate.

Seliger’s careful attention to detail and patient artistry is evident at every stage of the creative process. He uses a variety of wood species, including alderwood which he personally selects from a private forest in Oregon’s coastal mountains. The wood is milled and stored for a minimum of five years to properly cure. Seliger uses traditional joinery techniques to construct each piece. He often collaborates with his wife, Kathy – also a talented artist – who lends her hand to carving or painting elaborate designs. Other elements, such as high-grade upholstery, rich leather, and unique hand-crafted hardware, are always top quality. Seliger has developed an impressive array of artistic hand-rubbed finishes – requiring eight or more layers – to bring out the beauty of each piece.

Upon completion of the project, Seliger gifts the copyrighted, signed, and framed final sketch to the client – a reminder of the creative journey and that “…there is a piece of my heart and soul in what I’ve made.”