This piece is an excerpt from our 2026 Winter Digital Catalog. View the entire catalog for more features like this.
A Focus on Craftsmanship
Joe Ferrera on Why Local Furniture Matters Founder of Sound Designs NY
Choosing local furniture means choosing transparency. For Joe Ferrara, owner of Sound Designs New York, the difference begins with a conversation you can’t
have in a big-box store. It’s a shop that feels alive, where the air smells of sawdust and Odie’s Oil, and the room hums with the sound of crafters milling and carving away.
"Working with a local shop gives you direct communication, customization and craftsmanship you won’t find in mass production. You get a piece that feels like it belongs—because it was made here, for here."
Joe’s process is shaped by the Long Island landscape. Every piece is handcrafted using locally sourced materials and shipped locally. “Nothing is mass-produced and nothing is boxed up and shipped halfway around the world,” explains Joe.
From History to Handcrafted
A significant part of Joe’s work involves salvaging history. Much of the lumber used in his Glen Cove shop comes from fallen or salvaged Long Island trees that the team mills and dries themselves. This ensures each piece carries a story from its own community and that high-quality wood is put to its best use instead of going to waste.
"Each slab carries its own story: elm from a backyard in Glen Cove, cherry from a tree service in Stony Brook, or a black walnut
salvaged from a suburban backyard. We finish nearly all our work with Odie’s Oil. A safe, non-toxic finish that highlights the
wood’s natural grain and feel."
A Creative Ecosystem
Beyond the furniture itself, Sound Designs is part of a thriving network of independent makers. Joe prioritizes local partnerships for every detail of his business, ensuring that every purchase supports multiple small trades.
"We’ve built a community of makers who share our ethos. We work with cabinet shops on larger projects, a Long Island metal fabricator who builds our bases, and even a Locust Valley beekeeper whose beeswax goes into our wood finish. It cuts waste and keeps craftsmanship alive."
For Joe, the goal is simple: provide handcrafted, local furniture that is built to last while sustaining the community that makes it possible.
