Welcome To SolidSmack, Jeffrey Matthias

We have a special treat for you today. With SolidSmack growing like rustic mountain pines, we’re bringing on more writers. The first of the new SolidSmack crew is none other that Colorado native, Jeffrey Matthias. Jeffrey brings his experience in furniture design, fabrication and gadgetry of various sorts to the fold. He prods, pokes and isn’t afraid to give his opinion. He’s had a lot of input on SolidSmack and is part of the reason for the awesome bits of content you’ve seen in the past and will see more of in the future (not just stories about CNC and iPad styli either.) Here’s a little more about Mr. Matthias. Welcome him and be on the lookout for more articles by the fab-man from Colorado.

Originally manufactured in a robot-testing lab in Boulder, Colo., Jeffrey eventually found his way to Shaker Heights, Ohio, where, in addition to developing a full head of human hair, he cultivated an interest in photography, film and drawing. During these formative years he was also strongly influenced by his brother’s love of all things computer: building computers, tinkering with software and using “the Internet” (bulletin boards FTW!) to share information and ideas before Al Gore had even invented it. Jeffrey’s demonstrated commitment to do-gooderism-through-design also started during this time, as demonstrated by his Eagle Scout project: designing and building an outdoor staircase at a local suburban nature preserve.

While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in sculpture at The Ohio State University, Jeffrey began to develop a distinct design aesthetic, which combined his keen artistic sensibilities with his remarkable mathematical and analytic skills. In addition to producing some extraordinary works of sculpture, this marriage of right and left brain (or is it sinistral and dextral circuit boards?) brought his artistic conceptions into concrete, three-dimensional reality—a step that led him to producing furniture for production by 2002. At the time, it was all done with jigs and power tools.

Around this time Jeffrey’s flirtation with automobiles and motoring became a full-blown dalliance. Never being one to do something half way, he obtained an associate of applied science in automotive technology from Columbus State Community College and became an ASE-certified master mechanic. Although this “oily black period” did take him back to his robotic roots, he quickly returned to his true love, furniture design. In time, he solidified this commitment by pursuing a Bachelor of Science in industrial design at Metropolitan State College of Denver.

By this point his designs were beginning to get noticed. Enough so that he managed to land a position with Housefish, a Denver-based green furniture company. He also works as a freelance designer under his own name and is excited to show off his work … when the non-disclosure agreements finally allow it.

Jeffrey currently spends what would be his free time developing FurnLab, an open source furniture project. His interests include learning, hacking, making, gaming, sleeping, writing and ranting. Priority No.1, though, is spending time with his wife, writer Amy Rasberry, and their daughter, Noe.

Only a SolidWorks user since 2008, he brings a fresh take and a low tolerance for shenanigans since he didn’t have to deal with things when they worked even worse.

You can follow him on twitter: @idlehands

Or check out FurnLab:
http://FurnLab.com
http://twitter.com/FurnLab