The art of craft

After Greene & Greene | Paul Pacak

San Francisco woodworker Paul Pacak — who will be spotlighted in March in a solo exhibition of furniture he designed and built — learned from the best: the master craftsmen of the Arts & Crafts movement at the turn of the century.

It’s not that he’s been around that long. Rather, Pacak, 39, has been inside the heart and soul of the more than 1,000 pieces of Arts & Crafts furniture he has restored in the past decade. He is known for his expert restoration of significant pieces in major collections, including those of such celebrities as conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and actors Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis.

“As I worked on more significant Arts & Crafts pieces and learned more about furniture, I began to understand the subtle differences between good, better and best,” says Pacak. “One aspect of the furniture that especially fascinated me was the finishes, particularly Gustav Stickley’s.”