About

About me: First, thanks for visiting. I am Bretton Dimick. A native of Vermont, I am a furniture maker based in Seattle. My superpower is learning.

How did I get here? I fell down a rabbit hole while looking into becoming a musical instrument maker. I came out the other side creating furniture. This was after I earned a doctorate in music and spent the better part of a decade sitting on concrete floors in Vietnam speaking with wonderful humans about their musical traditions and writing a book about it. I taught for a time in higher ed, but found shaping wood a more satisfying and effective use of my time than trying to shape minds.

What’s a Morgan Horse? The Morgan Horse is a breed that originated in my hometown of Randolph. The first, born in 1789, was named Figure. They’re durable and smart. They have great endurance. I grew up around these animals in a rural home, surrounded by quality pieces of furniture of largely nameless craftspeople from New England’s history.

I am drawn to ways of making things in my home region and its precursors — Shaker of course, but also the more vague countryside ways of building things — what my great grandparents lived with, the sturdy tables, chairs, and cupboards. My dad built his house. My grandfather built two. My other grandfather built barns that are still around.

This is all sort ingrained in who I am, and has something to do with why I search for the best, most durable way to do things.

When I’m not working, I train for ultramarathons, play the fiddle, guitar, piano, and mandolin, and spend time with my family.