A Letter from the Founders

When we founded Aronson Woodworks in 2011, we shared a love of making and a belief that furniture could be both deeply functional and artful. We also brought very different experiences to the table. Clay’s formal training in architecture at Iowa State University, combined with years spent honing traditional woodworking techniques, became an early foundation for the sculptural, architectural quality that continues to define our work today. Megan’s background in luxury retail instilled an equally lasting belief that exceptional design should be matched by exceptional service — and that the relationships built along the way matter just as much as the pieces themselves.

What began with the two of us has grown in ways we could never have fully imagined — alongside our family, our team, and our own evolution as creatives. We’re raising our two children here in Iowa while building Aronson in the same landscape we call home, surrounded by the farmland, materials and people that have shaped both our lives and our work.

Today, our 20,000-square-foot workshop sits among the rolling farmland just south of Des Moines. It’s here that our team brings together traditional handcraft, modern technology and an enduring curiosity about what wood can become.

That curiosity ultimately led us to develop Claize®, our patented finishing technique that transforms the natural grain of wood into an integral part of the design. But our love of wood extends far beyond a single finish. We work across a considered range of species and finishes — from the quiet beauty of White Oak and Walnut in their natural state to the color, contrast and texture made possible through Claize®.

More than a decade in, we still believe in the value of making things well — and taking good care of the people who invite our work into their projects and homes. We want the pieces that leave our workshop to endure functionally, materially and aesthetically, and to carry a little of this place with them wherever they go.

We’re incredibly grateful that work made here in Iowa has found its way into homes and spaces around the world. And we’re even more grateful to the designers, clients, craftspeople and friends who continue to be part of the Aronson story.

Clay & Megan Aronson
Founders, Aronson Woodworks