The Home of Master Furniture Maker Thomas Moser Displays the Same Craftsmanship, Attention to Detail and Timelessness that Exemplify His Work

Written by Jamie Thompson
Photographed by James R. Salomon
Produced and Styled by Sabrina Velandry

“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t constantly appreciate that I am here, living where I am.” Those are the humble words of design legend Thomas Moser of Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers.

The subject of Thomas’s gratitude is the home he shares with his wife Mary, secreted away on the coast of Maine. At first glance, the house is an unassuming white clapboard structure, but examine it a bit more closely and what becomes clear is the stunning craftsmanship and enduring style produced by the experienced touch of an artist.

In 1988 Thomas and Mary bought 14 acres of oceanfront property in Maine. They moved into a little cottage that was on the property, and shortly afterwards built a barn that is a combination boathouse and garage, with a workshop/studio and an apartment on the second level. Between 1991 and 1994, they moved into the apartment in the barn while they built the home they live in now. All of the woodwork they created for the home was made in the barn’s workshop.

The home’s “fundamental design is a Cape Cod,” explained Thomas, and though slightly larger than usual, it is of “fairly modest proportions.” “We weren’t interested in building a big house, and certainly weren’t interested in building a McMansion.” Here, quality takes priority over quantity. Simple forms allow the purity of the design to shine, showcasing the detail and craftsmanship that are evident in each component of the home.

Thomas’s method and inspiration for designing furniture were integral to his design for the home. “The aesthetic I used in designing this house is pretty much the same that I’ve used in forty years of designing furniture,” Thomas explained. The style of New England’s nautical heritage, the sleek craftsmanship of Asian design and the timeless elegance of Shaker furniture are all elements of the Moser aesthetic.

But the starting point for the home’s look was its location. “The design that we were interested in is a regional vernacular, in the sense that we wanted to use materials and overall forms appropriate to coastal Maine,” Thomas said. Traditional white clapboard siding, with three-and-a-half-inch-wide boards, is quintessentially coastal, as is the asphalt shingled roof and divided windows reminiscent of early window designs. The home looks as though it has existed for over one hundred years, but it has a modern simplicity that ensures it will look just as fresh and appropriate to its surroundings one hundred years from now. “The house is not cutting edge, nor is it stodgy. It is a clearly 21st century place with a very strong 19th century origin,” said Thomas.

The Mosers also wanted to ensure that the home was “situated so that we would get the maximum solar gain, with a nice view of the ocean. We have 2,700 feet of frontage, so there is always something interesting going on,” Thomas said.

Consequently, Thomas paid special attention to how the house was sited, even sketching how the view would look from the master bedroom. “The key was to place the bedroom facing south. In that way, you could say [the house] was designed from the inside out,” he said. But Thomas would be the first to say that there was no definitive design plan. “I designed the house using the same method I use to design my furniture, which is that I rarely use drawings. We used absolutely no blueprints on this house,” he explained.

Thomas remarked that architects usually spend months drawing every minute detail in 2D, but he did not approach the design process in that way. He built the house with a local lobster fisherman, who Thomas said “was a wonderful carpenter.” The carpenter would come in early each morning and Thomas would present sketches that he that had drawn based on ideas—such as the view from the bedroom—or representations of elements he began building to determine their practicality. “I’d say, ‘Here are today’s sketches,’ and we’d work from that,” said Thomas. “It was a very organic, creative process.”

Thomas emphasized that the process was not haphazard; rather, it allowed ideas to evolve naturally as he worked. “We changed the position of the house three times, even after we started laying the foundation. It is much easier designing in 2D, but I like to plan as I am going,” he said.

It is the method of an artist who is steadfastly committed to the integrity of the work and the beauty of the process. Even now, he changes certain elements of the house. “Eventually we’ll get it right,” Thomas joked. But it is a testament to his work ethic and design philosophy that the home grows with the lives of its owners. “Like any other house, the best way to figure out how the space should be is to live in it for a while,” he said.

The basic design, however, has remained unchanged since the beginning: clean lines and meticulously executed woodwork and architectural details are paramount. One enters the home through a foyer that extends, like an atrium, 18 feet upwards to the second floor. A monolithic granite fireplace, the back of which is exposed to the entryway, rises up from the living room, adding more verticality. Light pours in from transom windows, and warm sienna-toned Burmese teak floors create an inviting atmosphere. The teak floors derived from the bottom of the Rangoon River in Myanmar, where the wood had been preserved in the silt river bottom for one hundred years. Thomas noted that this is called “sinker wood” and it is a very durable wood for flooring.

The living room sets the tone for the interior; Thomas’s brand of elegant New England and Japanese fusion features heavily throughout. His exquisite woodwork is immediately apparent in the black walnut ceiling panels; their grid formation is evocative of Shoji screens, an example of the Japanese influence. “The ceilings are inspired by a 19th century samurai hotel, which I just love,” Thomas enthused. “Most people will say, ‘Well, that’s Frank Lloyd Wright.’ Well, yeah it’s Frank Lloyd Wright! I got it from the same place he got it from.”

Antique Asian decorative pieces accent the sleek, sinuous furniture, most of which is Thos. Moser. “The furniture is a combination of antiques we’ve been collecting for years and furniture which we’ve made,” said Thomas.

French doors, another recurring element, follow the Japanese “tansu formula,” meaning they slide instead of hinge. The living room has French doors for easy access to the outdoors, and a door to the solarium, which is paneled in African mahogany. The room began as a screened porch, but true to Thomas’s credo, the Mosers decided it would be better as a season-spanning room to enjoy the views afforded by plentiful windows.

In the dining room, rich red walls are a departure from the soft vanilla hues found elsewhere, and perfectly complement the centerpiece of the room, a gorgeous Thos. Moser dining set. Following the same palette, the kitchen is expertly paneled in cherry, with built-in cabinets and New Hampshire granite countertops. The paneled hallway leading from the kitchen offers clever hidden storage space. Borrowing from the Japanese, the closets have flush hardware, so that when looking down the hallway, no knobs or hinges are visible.

The synthesis of New England and Japanese details is especially evident in the study. Covered in black walnut bookshelves and paneling, it looks like a sea captain’s cozy cabin. Thomas looked to the bustling seaport of 19th century Bath, Maine, for inspiration. It was a major center of trade, and sailors would bring home design elements from the Far East that found their way into Bath’s architecture. “I’ve always been interested in that,” Thomas said. The ceiling features an inlaid compass rose design comprised of 31 species of wood, most of which are rainforest specimens.

The second floor, explained Thomas, “is essentially one big bed chamber, with a dressing room at each end and his and hers bathrooms.” Commanding the most covetable view in the home is the master bedroom itself, with nearly 180-degree views of the water. A Thos. Moser Windward four-poster bed sits in the center of the space, ideally positioned according to a sketch Thomas made. Akin to a remote retreat in Japan, the room has a soothing, meditative atmosphere.

In fact, that sense of calm surrounds the entire home and is due in part to the natural beauty within which it is nestled. “I can look out of my window and there is not a human being in sight, and I can see for five miles all around on three sides. There is a sense of appreciation; I am very grateful for having found this spot and for having been afforded the opportunity to live here,” Thomas said. “I am also very grateful to have found Maine. When we first lived in New Gloucester, Maine, we…had this wonderful connection to the past. The fact that we’ve lived most of our adult lives in rural Maine has influenced most of our work.”

The Mosers’ love for Maine has not only been vital to the creation of their home, but is also a profound touchstone for their artistic vision and a fundamental part of their business. Thomas started the company in 1972 in an old grange hall in New Gloucester and soon began producing the artisanal furniture that has garnered Thos. Moser its well-deserved reputation for consummate craftsmanship.

“When we started it was a family affair. Mary agreed she would do all of the administrative work and that freed me up to be at the workbench. It has been a 50/50 partnership from the beginning,” Thomas said. “When our sons got off the school bus, they didn’t get off at home, they got off at the grange hall and we’d work for another three hours.” Three of Thomas’s four sons work with him at the company today, which also includes nearly one hundred men and women who help to handcraft each Thos. Moser piece with the care and dedication displayed by the man himself.

Thomas’s admiration for the tradition of American craft has shaped his career, and he names the Shakers’ design philosophy as essential to his own evolution as an artist and craftsman. “It is so sublimely beautiful in its simplicity and functionality. There is a reverence for the materials, a reverence for craftsmanship, and a high level of exactitude. These are all things I put into our work,” he said.

“Part of the Shakers’ aesthetic was spiritual…they worship with their hands; the idea is that if you build some perfect piece, you are celebrating not only your humanity but also the existence of the Almighty.” Though Thomas admitted that he does not possess the same intense spirituality, he clearly respects that ideal, and in many ways he represents it. He is a true craftsman, celebrating nature, the uniqueness of handmade creations and the beauty of functionality in classic forms that will last lifetimes.

The home Thomas has designed and built is an extension of his life’s work, and it shows in every grain of wood, every joint.