Sue Ratnoff  has been designing and building tables, cabinets and a variety of other woodcrafts for over 30 years. What began as a hobby has grown into a part-time profession.  After working solely on commission based projects, she decided to develop a series of products for retail sale.  Her design preferences come from the Shaker, Arts and Crafts and Art Deco styles.  She is also influenced by shapes and contrasts found in the American Southwest landscape and architecture and Asian design.

Sue works almost exclusively in hardwoods, including cherry, maple, tiger maple and black walnut. Clear finishes/oils are used on the cherry, walnut and maple in order to enhance the wood's natural beauty. Some crafts made of other woods are painted or stained to provide a greater variety of color combinations. 

Samples of her most recent designs are on the pages that follow. 

 See an article about Sue's work in the local paper

  http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20161106/area-arts-furniture-maker-living-creative-life-she-dreamed-of  

For a commission, good design begins with a strong idea or need and doesn't need drawings - it's a process of diaglogue.

•  Sue begins the design process by having an extended conversation with the clients.   
•  She then likes to see the space in which the piece will be placed to get a sense of the “whole”.  
• Once she and the clients have some concrete ideas formulated, she returns to her shop and crafts a full size cardboard “mock-up” of the item.  This facsimile is given to the clients to take home and “live with” so that  they truly see if the piece’s shape, style and size are right.  
• Final designapproval from the clients will launch the construction process. 

  Contact Sue to design/create a small, unique gift or for a larger project either free standing or built-in.  No idea is too "out there" for consideration.  Estimates and consultations are free of charge. 

     · Contact Sue at info@takingshapedesigns.com.   

• Designing Women    www.designingwomen.org   
• Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers   www.gnhw.org