Last Fall, while working for a week or so on a friend’s house on Copake Lake and specifically, on one of those late Fall mornings while strolling along Warren Street in Hudson after a particularly revelatory egg sandwich from Fish and Game, we stopped into a relatively unassuming shop front. This happened to be Fern Handcrafted. I was an immediate fan.


Secret Forts has really, at the heart of it, always been about design. Dressed in a Head to Toe. It began in 2OO8, and continues to be, as a site about the totality of considered living. Interest and appreciation in all things well designed, expertly made and seminal. Whether those things be US made clothing, iconic post-war American art heroes, Kem Nunn’s So-Cal surf-noir writing, British punk and new wave, skateboarding (the list goes on and on), SFs has always acted for me as a lens or a filter by which to examine and collect all of these various elements to form a collection of sorts. A working, changing, evolving notebook filled with disparate ideas, intense interests and loosely connected thoughts. My own personal, long-time love for furniture and furniture making being a single but considerably driving factor behind the whole operation here. And when you find something new to you, something that checks all the boxes, you take note. When you meet someone doing something really well, you want to know more about it. So you ask.
A brief background: Jason Roskey, along with his wife Maggie, established Fern back in 2OO9 while living in Brooklyn and just a year before making the full time move up north to Germantown. The shop in Hudson followed shortly thereafter. The furniture is deceptive in its simplicity. There’s nothing superfluous. Nothing unnecessary. It’s clean, well thought out and incredibly built. The milling, joinery and finishing, top notch. The showroom, restrained without feeling spare or cold. Quite the opposite, there’s a warmth there, both in the pieces and the space that houses them. And from the owner/designer too, a decidedly nice guy. Which I think is why he agreed to humor me, answering my series of questions thoughtfully and in full.

Q: Let’s begin with basic background about you personally; where you’re from originally, schooling, etc.
A: I grew up in a pretty typical middle-class childhood in semi-rural Texas. It’s basically all sprawl from the Dallas-Fort Worth area now, but it was a great place to grow up. It was one of those places that in high school there wasn’t much to do but fish and drink and try and stay out of trouble. I went to college in West Texas where everyone seems to be studying business or agriculture, but I was secretly reading Art Forum, Nest and World of Interiors. I grew up in a house where art didn’t really exist, but my dad is one of those guys that can make or do just about anything. I think a little of that must have rubbed off on me.
Q: Where does the name “Fern” comes from? And how long has the company been around in its current state.
A: The name Fern was a word Maggie and I had been floating around for a few years for various projects that never came to be while living in Brooklyn. It’s always been one of my favorite plants and I like the fact that ferns usually thrive in a mature forest situation – it’s a plant that can’t survive without managed forests and I liked how that fit with what we are doing with wood as a material.

Q: I got a real strong vibe when we visited that you’d lived in Brooklyn at some point and that we probably know a few of the same people. (The Stanley & Sons coal bag was a tip off.) Provided I’m correct in my assumption, were you making furniture in the city? On your own or working for someone else?
A: I came to making furniture later in life than many. I moved from North Texas to Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2OO5 and was primarily focused on visual art for the first few years. I’m self-taught and made the transition to make a few basic furniture pieces in 2OO9. My wife, Maggie, and I formed the company, Fern, in 2O1O. I was always more interested in interiors, architecture and furniture design than art, and after the recession and the gallery that represented me in Manhattan closed, I decided to switch gears.

Q: You have a really incredible, very well curated and appointed showroom/store front in Hudson. How long have you had that space?
A: Thank you. We opened the store in May 2O12. It’s mostly my work, but we also carry textiles by New Friends, ceramics by Trollhagen, metalwork by Kris Perry and lighting by Workstead.


Q: How long have you been up there? Do you live in Hudson or elsewhere? What brought you up that way? In what ways do you respond to it as opposed to city life.


A: We moved to Germantown, New York (about six miles south of Hudson) in October 2O11. Our move was for many of the usual reasons – an expanding family, a slower pace of life, etc. Fern was beginning to grow and I needed my own shop space. Hudson seems to have a strong connection to New York City, and sometimes it feels like another extension of the city. We really wanted a more rural experience. Having grown-up in Texas, I was interested in having a bit of land and the Hudson Valley seemed like a good place.

Q: I’ve seen from following your IG feed (NOTE: where all except the first two images come from) that you’ve recently moved work spaces. It looks pretty incredible and like you’ve a good amount of space for your operations up there. Talk a little about what that is. Do you employ a few other guys?
A: We purchased a property in Germantown in Spring 2O14. I had outgrown my previous renovated-barn workshop space, so I opened a new studio space in Hudson last summer. We are in a building that houses many craftsmen, artists and fabricators. I built out a 3,OOO square foot shop within the larger building. It’s a nice size space with plenty of room to expand. With the renaissance of the area and the close proximity of Bard College, there is a decent number of hard-working young people interested in the work I’m doing. I’ve been fortunate to employ a few guys that graduated from Bard over the past couple of years.


Q: I know you’re a family man. Has living upstate changed that and if so, in what ways. Better. Different. Harder. etc…
A: It’s interesting – in a lot of ways, I’m not sure my family life is a lot different up here. Maggie and I are extremely busy with our respective businesses (she’s a digital retoucher). It’s a lot easier to appreciate the seasons up here. Summer in NYC can be down right brutal, but there is so much to do up here to keep busy. I try to keep pretty normal hours, and having my shop offsite allows me to step away from the work.




Q: I was immediately drawn to your furniture similarly to the way that I love what Tyler does with BDDW. Clean lines, beautifully sourced lumber, incredibly smart and obviously very well made. Talk a little about your design ethos with Fern. Influences you feel are present in your thought and design process.
A: Thanks so much. My focus has really been to make things I’d want to own. I’m not really into the trends of design. I’m not interested in designing pieces as “collections” like you might see during Design Week in New York. A lot of the inspiration comes from various objects and designs that already exist. I’m really interested in working with wood and not some of-the-moment materials. I’ll use a little brass for joinery purposes, but it’s not something I want to be a primary material. I’m not that interested in using bronze or marble. For me, well designed and made wood furniture has a better “feeling” than super designed slick pieces. This area of America can be really inspiring. Having grown up in Texas where everything is new, I have always been interested in the oldest areas of the country. The Hudson Valley has a rich history. With so many people up here doing something (farming, art, woodworking, etc.) it seems there’s no lack of energy.



Q: Attendant to the previous question, who are some of your design heroes?
A: That’s a tough one. I am still not sure of any designer whose body of work that I really love overall. I tend to gravitate towards individual pieces. I’m obviously a big fan of Shaker and primitive furniture. While I’m not the biggest fan of his work, I love Sam Maloof’s overall outlook on design and business. Here are five pieces that inspire me:
Borge Mogensen’s “Hunting Chair”
George Nakashima’s “Arm Chair”
Axel Einar Hjorth’s “Uto” Dining Table
Alma Allen’s sculptures
Noguchi’s BB3-33S floor lamp


Q: How has Fern expanded or grown over the past few months? Over the past year?
A: Having opened the larger studio space, we are taking on projects that we couldn’t in the past. In addition to the furniture line we completed several conference tables and other furniture for Manhattan office. We are also taking on more custom projects where solid wood is the client’s focus. As we have gotten more press and built a larger trade clientele, we are able to focus more on custom one-off designs, which is exciting.
Q: What’s a day in the life look like?
A: We are usually up by 6:3O. I usually hang around with the family until about 8:30am – cooking breakfast, feeding the chickens, etc. I usually spend my days in the studio supervising whatever the project is. I tend to focus more on the wood selection, milling the lumber and constructing the pieces. My employees that work with me focus on some of the shaping and most of the sanding and finish work. I have a hard time working on one thing at a time, so I’ll usually break up my day thinking about new designs, drawing or going through lumber for different pieces. With more and more business, I unfortunately seem to spend more time responding to clients and managing the business end.
Q: How often do you get back to the city? What’s the first thing you have to do when you do get back? Eat somewhere specific? Visit a certain place/person? etc.
A: I don’t make it back to the city all that often – probably every few months or so. The biggest gripe of living upstate is the lack of food diversity. So when I’m back I tend to hit a few of my favorite spots. I used to live in South Williamsburg right next to the bridge. I don’t make it over to that area often, but if I do, I usually hit Diner (Ed. Note: Ditto.) or maybe get a chicken biscuit from Pies N Thighs.
Q: At the opposite end of the previous question, what’re some of your favorite things/places in Hudson? Restaurants. Shops. Out of the way spots. Etc.
A: Hudson seems to be constantly changing, and there are always new things opening. I think it still has a lot of room to grow too. For shops, my friends Nick and Paul have a great new design store called Hawkins New York. The Spotty Dog is a bookstore/bar in an old firehouse and always a good place to grab a pint. For a good lunch I’ll often head to Bruno’s or Bonfiglio Bread.
I really find the great thing about this area is there are things happening outside of Hudson. I tend to spend a lot of time in the town of Philmont at Main Street Public House. They have a great food and beer menu. It’s a great vibe.
Q: How have you seen the town change in the time you’ve been there? For the better?
A: When we moved up here the area was still in a recessionary state. Housing was still cheap and there were plenty of vacant storefronts on Warren Street. It seems that since the area has been “discovered” and the economy has improved there has been an influx of people and money. There are a lot of new things coming to Hudson in terms of hotels and restaurants. More young people are moving here to make things. Unfortunately, the real estate market has made it harder to rent or buy in Hudson. With that though, people are doing really cool things in the surrounding towns like Catskill and Germantown.

Q: You’ve got a number of signature pieces you make? Are there any favorites that stand out to you?
A: It’s funny, the pieces I’m most proud of aren’t necessarily the most popular. I love the little Dovetail Side Table we make, but I’ve never sold one. I really enjoy the Sawyer Club Chair, which has really made it’s way out into clients’ homes over the past year. The Founder’s Dining Table is sawbuck style dining table and it’s been super popular.

Q: How important or unimportant do you feel the use of social media is/has been for an operation like yours?
A: I think that press really drives so much in this industry. We try to keep our Instagram feed growing. It’s a tool that I’ve not only seen some sales from, but it’s just a great visual for clients and others to connect to what we are doing. It allows them to get a chance to see beyond the work and into the studio, home life, etc.
Q: Has there been any watershed moment over the course of owning/operating your own company? Something that stands out as a point in which you feel a corner was turned.
A: I think the new studio space for sure. Having all the electrical power to run industrial machinery really has allowed us to be more efficient and make better products.

Q: What does the future of Fern Handcrafted look like to you? Long/short term…
A: We really are focused on growing our trade business with architects and designers in 2O15. I really want Fern to be synonymous with quality furniture from the Hudson Valley. I’m really excited about some new products coming out 2015 like leather log carrier and new chair featuring shearling. Also, a workshop expansion would be great at some point this year.

Q: What are 3 things that have you stoked on Fall/Winter this year?
A: How about one for Winter and two for Spring?
1)For winter I’m really excited to be in the kitchen. I’ve been stocking the deep freeze with pork this Fall and am looking forward to curing bacon and all day braises.
2)For spring I’m excited to get a small apple orchard in the ground. We have about 8 acres of former orchard land and are putting in about 30 heirloom and cider apple varieties.
3)Finally, in late spring Gaskins New York, a new restaurant in Germantown will open. It’s owned by the husband-and-wife team of Nick Suarez, the chef/owner of Backyard Cooking Company, and Sarah Gaskins, former general manager of Diner and Marlow & Sons. They are renovating an old supermarket building on Germantown’s Main Street and are going to be doing some great things.

Thanks so much to Jason for indulging my line of inane questioning. I appreciate it.
And if you, the reader, find yourself in Hudson, I strongly recommend following in my footsteps and having the egg sandwich at Fish and Game (13 South 3rd Street, Hudson, NY 12534) and after, taking a short walk around the corner to Fern Handcrafted at 243 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534.
Fri 12-6, Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5

Cheers.