October 2025 – Aaron Johnson grew up in the house his grandfather built. With early access to the wood shop and a role model in the family, Aaron took to carpentry at a young age. Woodworking became an integral part of his life, and his career progressed accordingly from building small projects to summer carpentry jobs, to millwork, and finally to furniture. As his experience grew, so did his understanding of the materials and the importance of proper design and techniques, while cultivating a solid work ethic.
Aaron took a (self-proclaimed) five-year detour in the Marines as an aircraft mechanic. Continuing his woodworking practice, Aaron added machine maintenance and management skills while overseeing the varied maintenance tasks on a flight line of C-130 aircraft.
Returning to civilian life and full-time woodworking, Aaron enrolled in the Nine-month Comprehensive program to advance his skills to the next level of fine craftsmanship. After completing the course at CFC, Aaron worked with furniture maker Owain Harris before going out to work independently. Having worked in a shop and on his own, Aaron took a full assessment of his goals, skills, and personal and professional interests in woodworking and joined the team at Fernweh Woodworking in Bend, Oregon, as the Production Manager.
“Joining Fernweh as the Production Manager has put me in a spot where I love every aspect of my job. While I do enjoy the design process, I don’t feel I must be the main driver behind the design aesthetics. What brings me more joy is guiding the design process in terms of structural integrity, finding the best way to design and produce parts, making jigs to streamline production processes, and doing my best to balance speed, quality, and love for the craft. Where I think this was most evident was in the designing, prototyping, and now producing of the Fjoon line of furniture at Fernweh.”
When he is not working at the Fernweh shop, Aaron pulls out his hand planes and chisels to cut dovetails in his more primitive shop at home. Recently, he had a unique opportunity to work with the curator at the National Nordic Museum in Seattle, examining a collection of beautifully painted Scandinavian chests, taking measurements and notes on their design. Building on these insights, Aaron plans to create some loose reproductions and incorporate veneer and marquetry into these works. Despite these new creative ventures, he still enjoys carpentry and trim work, especially when tackling a technically challenging project.
