Jeremy Kamiya (prounced Ka-mee-ya) is a self-taught furniture maker who came to the craft rather unintentionally when visitors to his and his wife’s Durham, NC furniture store kept asking if he made the furniture he was selling. Between that recurring inquiry and fixing pieces on occasion, he thought, “I’d rather fix my own mistakes.”
With that, Kamiya watched a slew of You Tube videos, invested in tools, and started to create. Kamiya Furniture debuted at High Point Market in April 2018 with Mill Collective.
One of the things that sets Kamiya Furniture apart is that it is made without metal fasteners. Intrigued by ancient Asian architecture that has lasted for centuries without metal fasteners, Kamiya says he wanted to do something that set him apart – and created in this way from his first piece. In lieu of nails and screws, he uses dowels, wedges, and mortise and tenon joinery, and says designing furniture this way is akin to assembling a puzzle – and he relishes the challenge.
Another furniture trait Kamiya is recognized for is not using stain. Kamiya would rather have the wood specie – such as walnut, maple and Purple Heart – dictate the color of the piece, bringing out its inherent depth and grain with a zero-VOC oil.
Kamiya works out of his High Point home studio – a detached garage – on historic Johnson Street in High Point. While he finds collaborating with designers most fulfilling, he is also open to commissions from those who sincerely appreciate artistry in furniture design. Reach out to schedule an appointment.
