Penamade

Luis Peña’s successful career in graphic design and film took an interesting swerve. As a commercial art director, he developed talent in visual storytelling, but sought a more concrete form for his ideas. Two years ago, the Bay Area designer launched his handcrafted wood furniture line, Penamade, known for its playful takes on classic and midcentury modern motifs. “To be authentic, design must come from trial and error,” Peña says of his iterative process, which has yielded a growing collection of impeccably built pieces in black ash, chocolatey walnut, and clean-grained white oak. 

Peña typically starts with a feeling he’s looking to physically render. “The first goal is always emotion,” he says, “then I look to history and personal experience.” His elemental Nona table pays homage to Italian Art Deco and “belongs in a grandma’s house.” The Hosfelt table features an impossibly slender yet sturdy base while the Roxy nightstand, finished in exotic marble and brushed brass, is a study in curvaceous geometry. “I’m always seeking a state of flow,” Peña says. “That and being fearless are key when creating something new.”

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