Born and raised in Milwaukee, I became interested in furniture design as a student at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.I have worked as a:
- Prototype craftsman for a Wisconsin furniture factory
- Designer for Discovery World Science Museum in Milwaukee
- Product Development Manager and designer for Techline Furniture - I was hired by MarshallErdman, who was a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright
- Designer for Tvilum, an International furniture manufacturer in Denmark
- Founded Thomas Franke Design, a furniture design consulting business
Artist Statement
Many of the greatest architects also designed chairs and other pieces of furniture. I was drawn to furniture design because I think of it as a more immediate, intimate and less rigid form of architecture.Buildings can take years to complete, but with a piece of furniture, it is possible to conceive, design and construct a project within a few weeks.I began my career primarily as a furniture craftsman. As I made the shift from craftsman to adesigner for large manufacturers, it became necessary to do the majority of the design with the aid of computer programs, and less as a hands-on craftsman. I have had my designs sold by major retailers in 70 countries around the world. Over the past few years, I’ve been able to return to my roots as a designer/craftsman. There are few things more rewarding to me, than taking a concept from the initial inspiration to a finished product with your own hands. I currently focus mainly on rustic and contemporary clocks, as these pieces seem to allow for just the right combination of function and artistic freedom.
