About |
Award winning Mesquite Artist Lou Quallenberg creates sculpted live edge furniture in a unique contemporary style. Working with each piece one on one and following the curves that nature supplies Lou creates one of a kind pieces that call out to be touched. The natural cracks and crevices that give Mesquite wood it's unique character are often inlaid with gem quality turquoise, bits of gold or small client supplied mementos creating heirloom treasures for generations to come.
Lou Quallenberg Studios is a family owned business built around the creation of art that functions as furniture. We strive for excellence in customer service and enjoy the friendships and relationships that develop with our clients as we create their pieces. Many of our clients are involved in the entire process from tree to table. Clients choose the level of involvement that they prefer to have with their individual pieces. We keep our clients regularly updated on their projects through email and photos and welcome them to the shop at any point in the process. Using our photographs some of our clients have created a visual journey of the process in books that they keep with their piece and like proud parents show these books to their friends and family. As artwork each piece is signed, photographed and cataloged with the original buyer recorded in order to track the provenance of the individual pieces.
Lou Quallenberg works mainly with local Texas grown Mesquite. These trees are often a nuisance to many Texas Farmers and ranchers and are regularly cleared from the land. We find our wood using various methods but are often approached by people with living trees that must be removed for one reason or another. Lou honors and respects the spirit and life of a tree, he will only take a large living tree that has already being scheduled to be removed. He knows which tree and where each slab of wood in his inventory comes from. Often he refers to pieces as sisters if they come from the same tree. We make a very conscious effort to be as environmentally friendly as possible reducing our carbon footprint when and where we can. Our standard finish is a natural tung oil finish with a hand rubbed wax. We are always researching new "green" products and finishes as they become available.