Studio Big Moon

Studio Big Moon is a design and fabrication studio based in Los Angeles, founded by designer and furniture maker James Mitchell. His practice encompasses furniture and lighting, combining an interest in minimalism with playful geometry and material exploration. Before establishing the studio, Mitchell worked as an illustrator and musician, experiences that informed his creative process. His approach brings these disciplines into functional objects, exploring how simple forms can feel both familiar and unexpected.

Wood is a recurring material throughout the studio’s work, with walnut, cherry, oak, mahogany, and blackened ash offering different expressions of grain, color, and surface. Upholstery and woven fibers introduce additional texture, creating relationships between solid structures and softer elements. Natural oils, waxes, and dark finishes give each material a distinct presence. Across seating, tables, and lighting, this attention to material supports a restrained visual language in which proportion and construction remain central.

The studio’s seating illustrates its exploration of geometry through different constructions. Chair 33.B uses solid walnut finished with natural oil and wax, while the Zigzag Chair has been produced in blackened ash with bouclé upholstery. The Planar Chair, completed in blackened oak in 2025, continues Mitchell’s investigation of wooden seating. These works sit alongside tables and stools, forming a body of furniture that approaches everyday functions through sculptural composition and carefully selected materials.

Historical references also inform Mitchell’s designs. The Frankie Chair draws inspiration from Jean-Michel Frank’s boxy chairs of the 1940s, interpreting their architectural character through a solid wood frame and handwoven jute seat and backrest. Available in several wood species, the design combines clear structural lines with the irregular texture of natural fibers. His walnut Column Lamps extend the practice into lighting and were presented in Light Forms at Rhett Baruch Gallery.

Studio Big Moon’s work was presented by Casa AnKan at the inaugural COLLECTIBLE New York in 2024, with a sculptural chair highlighted in The Art Newspaper’s coverage of the fair. In 2025, the studio participated in Infield at the Cummings Estate during LA Design Weekend. Curated by Meaghan Roddy in collaboration with Chet Architecture, the exhibition brought together Los Angeles designers and makers to explore domestic objects, creative community, and the meanings of home.

Studio Big Moon’s complete catalog available upon request.