The Viers Furniture Story
Russell and Rusty Viers (Photo by Audrey Hall)
The Viers family have always been enthusiasts of the Old West.
My parents grew up in Kansas, this is where my brother and I were born. We left Topeka, Kansas when I was 3 years old and moved to Whittier, California. Through the years of growing up we would travel as a family, exploring historic places in the old west. Ghost towns were a favorite, ranging from Tombstone, Arizona to Bodi, California with dozens of places scattered in between.
High school shop classes instilled in me a love of working with my hands. 1979 thru 1982 a family business built log houses in Big Bear, California. This built in me a passion for wood working. The log manufacturer was located in Montana. This was our first introduction to the incredible place that Montana is. In 1992 the family moved to Livingston, Montana.
We were introduced to the incredible Western Designed furniture of Thomas Molesworth. To have a wood working shop of our own was a desire of both my father Russell Viers and myself, so we started converting a building on our property into a full blown wood working shop. Because we were influenced by “Molesworth Style’, I decided to take on the upholstery end of the furniture also.
The beginning workshop
The shop was ready for the first pieces in January of 1994. My father and I worked together as a team and we wanted Montana in the name, so we first called ourselves “Montana Western Furniture”. In 1995 we incorporated the business as “Viers Furniture Co.”, we were also invited in to the Martin-Harris Gallery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and became known simply as “Russell and Rusty Viers”.
We built hundreds of Western Design pieces, most noteworthy over 60 Molesworth style Club Chairs.
In 2007 my father Russell, decided to spend more time traveling on a regular basis with my mother Jane, so his time in the workshop decreased until he decided to retire from the shop.
So now I am a one man shop, which means it takes longer to get commissions done. I don’t work slow, it is slow work. That’s how it has to be.
The Workshop Today
Though production time on pieces is slower, I insist on the same high principles we always have. All wood is gathered on my own, which means lots of walking and hiking.
Wood working methods incorporate the finest in joinery and construction, using the best professional equipment for the job, and more importantly the finest hand tools when machinery just cant do it.
The pieces I upholster, uses the finest leathers available, and hand woven wool chimayo from New Mexico. The cushions are inner spring foam, ultra down wrapped. The seat units are 8 way tied springs. All tacks are solid brass.
Each piece is hand built, with every phase done in the workshop, utilizing time honored methods of wood working and piece work.
WHY?
Because “Furniture is Art“.