Brian Holcombe is a woodworker specializing in handmade, one-of-a-kind furniture influenced by Japanese sashimono techniques and furniture of the Chinese Ming Dynasty. All of Holcombe’s woodwork is joined together without the use of fasteners, nails or screws, and units like his credenzas and cabinets often feature shoji — traditional Japanese sliding doors or screens. His work is mid-century modern in style but thoughtfully traditional in construction as it draws on the materials and techniques once favored by the Samurai and wealthy merchants of Asia.
His studio, where he builds elegant bookcases, daybeds, benches and other pieces, is in Princeton, New Jersey. By creating his furniture by hand, Holcombe intimately understands the nature of each material he uses. While much of his work is made of wood, the use of various types, including ash, walnut and mahogany, gives a sophisticated variation to the furniture, with brass accents furthering the depth of its design. Holcombe uses mulberry paper for his sliding door pieces and offers a live edge on some products, like his dining room tables.
In addition to producing beautiful furniture, Holcombe teaches woodworking classes both in person and online, including workshops on hand tools, interlocking techniques and shoji doors. Publications such as Fine Woodworking and Handwork Magazine have featured his expert work.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Brian Holcombe seating, tables, storage case pieces and more.
$18,000 / item
Walnut Bookcase with Shoji
By Brian Holcombe
Located in Princeton, NJ
Handmade bookcase in oiled walnut featuring abstract pattern shoji. This bookcase is made of solid, quarter sawn walnut and constructed utilizing timber joinery methods to allow long...
Walnut
$11,800 / item
Walnut Bookcase with Brass Hardware
By Brian Holcombe
Located in Princeton, NJ
Handmade bookcase in oiled walnut featuring brass hardware. This bookcase is made of solid walnut and constructed utilizing traditional joinery methods. The uprights are created uti...
Brass
French Walnut Bookcase
Located in Swadlincote, GB
Excellent quality French walnut bookcase, four adjustable shelves, wonderful steel hinge, working key, in overall excellent condition with a lovely colour. 55" high 26.5" wide 15" d...
Walnut
Antique English Victorian Walnut & Brass Open Bookcase
Located in Glasgow, GB
An antique English late Victorian walnut open bookcase bookcase in the Regency style, very nice quality and unusual in that the top has a pierced brass three quarter-gallery and reed...
Brass
Walnut bookcase, Italy 1955
Located in Catonvielle, FR
4-post bookcase in oak and walnut, Italy 1955. Only surviving example of a furniture set created for Italy's first apartment hotel in Ventimiglia. Brass slides are embedded in the bl...
Brass
Antique Walnut Open Bookcase
Located in London, GB
A lovely antique walnut open bookcase in the Victorian style. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1920’s. The quality is outstanding, this is a great size with plenty...
Walnut
English Walnut Stepback Bookcase
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful English Walnut Stepback Bookcase / Cupboard. Burled door details with in-set detail at doors, carved crown with crest-like detail, original g...
Walnut
Walnut Open Bookcase - Sheraton Regency Bookcases Open Front
Located in Potters Bar, GB
You are looking at a single English Sheraton style openfront bookcase hand crafted from the finest walnut This piece is made to order bespoke - turnaround time 2-4 weeks and measurem...
Walnut
Walnut Open Bookcase, Regency Inlay Bookcases Study Interiors
Located in Potters Bar, GB
Gorgeous Regency style open front bookcase in walnut Great thing about this piece is the size, plenty of width for all your books and tomes Hand crafted from walnut with satinwood ...
Walnut
Antique Burr Walnut Bookcase
Located in London, GB
A lovely antique burr walnut bookcase in the Georgian style. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1930’s. It is of very good quality and has lovely proportions; it is ...
Glass, Walnut
Antique Walnut revolving bookcase
Located in BEEKBERGEN, NL
Beautiful antique walnut book carousel of exceptionally fine quality by the renowned English 19th-century furniture maker Maple & Co., featuring the distinctive cast-iron base. Becau...
Walnut
Walnut bookcase, Italy
Located in Cuneo, Italy (CN)
Antique richly carved solid walnut bookcase. The structure, which is divided into two bodies, has large open compartments in the upper part marked by molded pilasters, designed to ac...
Nutwood
Walnut Open Bookcase - Sheraton Regency Bookcases Open Front
Located in Potters Bar, GB
You are looking at a single English Sheraton style openfront bookcase hand crafted from the finest walnut This piece is made to order bespoke - turnaround time 2-4 weeks and measurem...
Walnut
George I Figured Walnut Bureau Bookcase with Mirror Doors
Located in Woodbury, CT
Truly a spectacular example of its kind, this grand secretary grabs your attention with its broken arch pediment and doesn't let go until you admire the original bracket feet. In bet...
Walnut, Burl