About Barry Yavener

As the son of parents who were avid antique collectors, I was introduced to well designed and unique artifacts early in life. Their careful attention to detail and critical eye for quality insured that my childhood home, outside of Washington DC, was filled with an eclectic mix of exceptional pieces from around the world. There can be little doubt that those formative years in Bethesda, Maryland continue to play a prominent role in influencing the aesthetic decisions I make in designing furniture.

I attended my first formal woodworking class in seventh grade and it was instantly an environment where I felt totally comfortable. The die was cast and it has been a relationship that has never wavered. Decades later I am still passionate about the material, the design process and creating special pieces of furniture.

I received my undergraduate degree in education from the University of Maryland and my Master of Fine Arts degree in woodworking and furniture design from the School for American Crafts at RIT. I have been on the faculty at Buffalo State College since 1985, first as a Professor of Design and now Interior Design.

In 2001 I was selected by the American Institute of Conservation to be one of only three woodworkers from North America to study Furniture in France along with museum curators and art conservationists. That experience confirmed my belief that we create for history and not just for today. I fully embrace the early Roycroft philosophy to take the time necessary to select the finest boards and employ only time honored and tested traditional woodworking techniques to insure my furniture will be in use for many generations to come

I hope you will enjoy my work as much as I enjoy designing and making it.