ALEX RUIZ | OWNER + MASTER CRAFTSMAN
Alex Ruiz is the owner and master craftsman of Amaya Furniture.
Alex was born in San Vicente, El Salvador. As a child, he would watch local cabinetmakers turn ordinary pieces of wood into richly detailed furniture. He became fascinated by the techniques and the art of furniture manufacturing. At the age of 18, he moved to the United States to continue his education in cabinet making and upholstery.
10 years ago, Tom Clendening, a well-known furniture dealer with a store on 1stDibs, called on Alex to help renovate some of his most important restoration projects; museum-worthy pieces by Knoll, Eames, Wegner, Cherner, and LeCorbusier. The two have developed a lasting professional relationship that has given Alex a front-row education in classic mid-century furniture design.
Alex and his team also take on commercial projects for the hospitality industry, working with such clients as the Ritz Carlton, the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel, the Four Seasons, Hilton Hotels, and Hyatt Hotels.
But not everything Alex works on is mid-century modern. One of his favorite projects was an 18th-century Rococo console that needed to be renovated for the Fairmont’s presidential suite. “It was really an artistic project. The gold-leafing and distressing. It needed to have its character preserved.”
Still, Alex still enjoys the ordinary client who just wants to breathe new life into grandma’s wing chair. “I’ve had people bring in vintage furniture that looks like it’s been through a war. But those can be exciting projects because you’re taking something old and making it fresh and modern.”
JORGE HERNANDEZ | MASTER UPHOLSTERER
Jorge is Amaya Furniture’s master upholsterer. He was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and began training as a furniture-maker at the age of 14.
He instantly discovered he had a passion for the craft, especially upholstery. He soon was hired to work at Asesta Manufacturing, one of Mexico’s largest commercial furniture design firms.
When he turned 21, he decided he was ready to open his own company in the town of Colima, which is a famous center for the manufacture of wooden furniture.
He instantly discovered he had a passion for the craft, especially upholstery. He was soon hired to work at Asesta Manufacturing, one of Mexico’s largest commercial furniture design firms.
When he turned 21, he decided he was ready to open his own company.
“I was very ambitious at that age. I knew my work was good and that I could be successful”, says Jorge. “But I was still hungry to learn and improve my craft.” Soon, he was getting a reputation, and important clients came calling.
A movie theatre placed an order for 1,500 reclining chairs, and then the Mayan Resort Hotel in Puerto Vallarta had Jorge manufacture and refurbish the furniture for fifteen floors and over 100 rooms, everything from headboards to beds, chairs, and sofa beds.
“Hotel projects are complicated because they don’t want the rooms vacant for very long. You have to work fast.”
Every craftsman has a favorite project. For Jorge, it was a tufted Chesterfield sofa. The upholstery process is painstaking: all of the tufting is done by hand, with hand-knotting for all of the springs and buttons. He still considers it his finest work.
“The thing I instantly noticed about Jorge is his dedication”, says Alex, owner of Amaya Furniture. “He has serious skills, but he also has passion. Upholstery is an art, and Jorge is an artist”.
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