zack fealk
photo by Joshua Lutz
Friendo Furniture is a woodworking practice by Zack Fealk. Born and raised in Southeast Michigan, Zack is a designer, furniture maker, and educator based out of Detroit. Zack first studied Natural Resource Management at Michigan State University then spent his formative years in Portland, Oregon. There, he worked in trail building, learned some tool use through odd jobs and soon found his way to home remodels. After a handful of years, he settled himself back in Detroit working on historic home renovations. Through this work, Zack developed a fascination in working with wood. When trim and flooring work weren’t enough, he studied wood design and furniture making at the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute (SBWI) in Adrian, Michigan. He was fortunate to apprentice and teach at SBWI after graduating from the program. Zack is currently the Lead Instructor of the 40-week Wood Design Program at SBWI. His practice has become an obsession in making, functionality and collaboration.
biography
As a woodworker, educator, and designer, I create contemporary furniture that balances function, elegance, and longevity. My practice is grounded in the belief that the things we live with should be thoughtfully made—objects that serve not only a purpose but also reflect a quiet beauty and endure through time.
Woodworking, for me, is an art of solitude. The workshop is a space of concentration where each layout line, cut, and fit carries intention. Designing and building are deeply personal acts—meditative, intuitive, and physical. The grain of the wood, the sharpness of the tool, the trust of your eye all demand full presence. Success in this craft requires being rooted in the moment, being conscious with both the material and the self.
In contrast, my role as an educator opens a different kind of space—one of shared practice and collective growth. Teaching invites conversation, encourages experimentation, and builds community. While the techniques may be traditional, the classroom is contemporary: a place where ideas are exchanged, skills are sharpened, and a mutual respect for the craft is cultivated. Guiding others in their own journey through woodworking reinforces the importance of process, patience, and curiosity.
Whether in solitude or in the company of students, my work is driven by a commitment to quality and care. In a fast-paced world, furniture made by hand is a quiet act of resistance—a way to reconnect with time, material, and meaning.