Meet Bryan Feld

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Feld.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Bryan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in a suburb outside of Chicago. As a kid, I was always the creative type. I loved to draw and paint. I loved to play with clay and make a mess of myself. I would build sculptures, skateparks, and houses with popsicle sticks and a hot glue gun. I was also an avid skateboarder growing up which in many ways I think helped fuel my creativity. It made me view objects in the world much differently and from many different angles.

After high school, I moved to Los Angeles to go to art school and pursue my dream as an artist. I started college with the thought of being a painter and sculptor but realized I always enjoyed the classes where I was building things the most. I switched my major to Product Design and my excitement continually grew when the objects I was building began to also have a function. Seeing people using or interacting with them brought me so much joy.

After college, I started my endeavor into the world of freelance which let me explore a variety of projects in both design and fabrication. On the side of whatever project I was working on, I would still build furniture for fun, or the occasional custom request until one day I made Bryan Feld Design official.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. A major struggle that I had when first starting out was lack of tools, and not having a real shop space. I first started on my balcony at my apartment, then moved my tools into my parent’s garage. This gave me a little more space and I gained some of their tools from that. Now I’m using a slightly bigger shop that a friend and designer/maker owns. It gets easier with time and as new tools are added to the collection. Another struggle, like any new company, would be just trying to get my name out there and my work noticed.

Please tell us about your business.
The bulk of Bryan Feld Design is custom furniture. We also offer design, development, and fabrication services as well. Whether you have a vague idea you’d like to explore or you have a concrete idea you just need to be made. We can bring your idea to life through sketch concepts, CAD, 3D printing, and prototyping.

My “Walking Table” was probably my first piece that caught some attention. Its funky angled legs give it a varying appearance depending on which angle you are looking at it from. It has a dynamic feeling while still being a simple design. The table also assembles without any hardware. People tend to like my pieces that have unusual angles or intentionally crooked pieces on them.

The project I’m most proud of would be the West Hollywood Parklet I designed and built in collaboration with Sef Pinney Design. I’m most proud of it because it was the first big project that I pushed hard to get, and took a chance with. There was a lot of design and engineering work, and signatures were needed from the city up front – without a promise that the project would even be approved. Getting the go ahead and receiving a grant was the best feeling in the world. It was a blast to get to design an entire space that had multiple custom furniture pieces, planters, and bike racks all working together in a space. This project can be seen in front of Bikes and Hikes at 8250 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My parents for starters, who have always supported me and been my biggest fans. Sef from Sef Pinney Design who has been a mentor for me for the last few years happily sharing his vast knowledge. Danny Roman from Bikes and Hikes for trusting a small local company just starting to design and oversee the entire parklet project outside his storefront. Lastly my friends! My friends have been such great supporters. Sending your friends even just a few kind words or critiques or them reposting your work to help you get noticed goes such a long way. Big thanks to all of you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bryanfeld.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: bryanfeld

Image Credit:
Jessamyn Sheldon

Suggest a story:VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.