Synopses & Reviews
"A gifted artist who takes woodworking to a new level, there is no one in John's league. John Yarema is the Michelangelo of wood floors."and#151;Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mary Richardson Kennedy
Wood by Design presents the extensive body of work of John Yarema, one of the world's most dynamic artisans. Full-color photographs from homes and businesses across the globe showcase the opulence and ingenuity of his designs.
This monograph features some of Yarema's most brilliant interiors, one-of-a-kind masterpieces that convey his unparalleled skill and true artistry. From the naissance of his career over twenty years ago, Yarema has worked with recycled, locally sourced, often salvaged materialsand#151;a practice that reflects his commitment to sustainability and his conviction that environmentally responsible methods are not only viable, but essential, to the future of high-end design. This book details his methods and sources and offers best practices for ethical design.
John Yarema discovered his passion for the craft of wood flooring and design in 1991, when he and his wife moved into a nineteenth-century one-room schoolhouse and renovated the building from top to bottom. This project proved to be a life-changing event, and ever since Yarema has specialized in creating exquisite hardwood floors and interiors using sustainable building techniques. He has been commissioned to design projects for the SC Johnson complex, the Kennedy Green House, the Detroit Institute of the Arts, and residential clients from New York to Moscow to Los Angeles.
Review
and#147;[John] meticulously and brilliantly created functional and beautiful aged parquet de Versailles inlaid floor for this important room that our visitors can now enter and have the sense of living in an elegant 18th-century French period room. I encourage anyone interested to come visit the museum to see this special room and the impressive floor.and#8221; and#150; Alan P. Darr, Ph.D. Walter B. Ford II Curator of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, and Head of the European Art Department at the Detroit Institute of Arts
and#147;Johnand#8217;s floors are the soul of our house. He is a gifted artist who takes woodworking to a new level. His energy and upbeat spirit brought new life to our project as soon as he arrived. My wife, Mary, having had the privilege of working as an architect with the design firm Parish-Hadley for 14 years, has given her the unique opportunity to work with some of the best craftsmen in the world. In our opinion, there is no one in Johnand#8217;s league. He is absolutely one of the finest artisans of our time. John Yarema is the Michelangelo of wood floors." and#150; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mary Richardson Kennedy
Synopsis
This monograph presents the awe-inspiring, environmentally-sustainable interior design work of John Yarema and#150; expert craftsman, woodworker, and artist.
About the Author
John Yarema graduated from college with a bachelorand#8217;s degree in computer science, and worked for over five years as a systems engineer. In 1991, he and his wife Lisa moved into a 19th century one-room schoolhouse and decided to renovate the crumbing building from top to bottom. This project proved to be a truly life-changing event through which John discovered a latent passion for architecture and design, and an appreciation for fine craftsmanship. He has since specialized in creating one-of-a-kind hardwood floors and interiors using locally-sourced, often salvaged, materialsand#151;a sustainable practice that supports and communicates a broader sense of environmental responsibility while allowing for a deeper relationship between a structure and its locale. Most recently, he has been commissioned to design, create, and install projects at the SC Johnson complex, the Kennedy Green House, the Ann Arbor Library, and the Detroit Institute of the Arts. He currently lives in Detroit.