PR, Press & Public Profile Strategy

Universal Press Pitch

The core pitch, adaptable for any outlet. Written in Jason's voice.

Hi [Name],

I'm reaching out because I think there's a story at my studio that your readers would connect

with.

This year marks 25 years since I apprenticed under Berthold Schwaiger, a Bauhaus-trained

master craftsman from Germany who ran a shop in Chicago. I was a day trader in my late

twenties. I walked into his studio, and the trajectory of my life changed. I started Jason Lewis

Furniture in 2002, and I've been building solid wood furniture by hand ever since.

But the story isn't really about the anniversary. It's about what's happening now.

After two decades of running a traditional custom woodworking studio — building for

restaurants like Oriole (Michelin-starred), music venues like Salt Shed, production work for

Goose Island Brewhouse, and hundreds of residential pieces for designers across the country

— I've restructured everything. The old model of hiring employees and chasing volume is

done. I'm back to working with my hands, solo, the way I started.

And the studio itself is becoming something new. I'm calling it Belden Woodshop.

The 8,000-square-foot space at 3951 W Belden Ave in Logan Square is evolving into a

communal creative hub. Icon Modern, a furniture brand I worked alongside for a decade,

now rents production space here. There are bench spaces for independent makers. A bright

1,400-square-foot gallery storefront hosts events and photo shoots. I'm launching

woodworking classes this year. And Offcut — a sustainable furniture line I started in 2020 to

turn production scraps into one-of-a-kind pieces (recognized by Dwell as one of their "Dwell

24" best new designers in 2023) — continues to operate out of the shop with weekly product

drops.

The through-line of all of this is pretty simple: I believe furniture should be made from solid

wood, built with real joinery, designed to last generations, and made by people who care.

That hasn't changed since I built my first piece 25 years ago. What's changed is that I now

want to open the doors wider — share the tools, the space, the knowledge, and the community

that kept me going.

I'd love to talk more about this if it's a fit for [Publication]. I have a studio full of furniture,

sawdust, and stories. Happy to host a visit, do a phone call, or send whatever you need.

Best,

Jason Lewis

Angle Variations

Five tailored angles for different publication types. Each emphasizes a different part of the story.

Angle A: Sustainability

For: gb&d Magazine, Inhabitat, Treehugger, Making Design Circular, Upcyclist

The sustainability angle isn't a marketing decision — it's just how the shop works. When you

build furniture from solid hardwood for 25 years, you accumulate a lot of beautiful scraps.

Cherry offcuts. Walnut ends. White oak strips too short for a dining table but perfect for a

stool or a cutting board.

In 2020, I launched Offcut to give that material a second life. Every piece is made from

production leftovers. In 2023, Dwell recognized Offcut as one of their "Dwell 24" — only 24

designers selected worldwide.

In 2026, as the studio evolves into Belden Woodshop, that philosophy is expanding. The

communal workspace model means shared tools and shared materials. Woodworking classes

will teach a new generation to build things that last. The whole vision is grounded in the idea

that sustainability isn't just about materials — it's about making things well enough that

people keep them.

Angle B: Design / Craft

For: Dezeen, Designboom, Dwell, T Magazine, PIN-UP, Core77, Remodelista

My design education started in 2001 with a Bauhaus-trained German craftsman named

Berthold Schwaiger. He ran a shop in Chicago where the engineering was as elegant as the

design. Complex curves, hand-cut joinery, an obsessive attention to how wood moves and

breathes.

The furniture I make sits at the intersection of mid-century modernism and Shaker

simplicity. The influences are Wegner, Finn Juhl, Eames, Sam Maloof — but filtered through

25 years of working with American hardwoods in a Chicago shop. Black walnut, white oak,

ash, cherry. No veneers. No MDF. No shortcuts. Every joint is real.

Angle C: Chicago Local

For: Chicago Magazine, Curbed Chicago, Block Club Chicago, Chicago Reader

If you've been around the Logan Square maker scene, you probably know the building at 3951

W Belden. It's been a working woodshop since 2020, but the furniture has been getting made

in Chicago since 2002.

Twenty-five years of building furniture in this city means I've touched a lot of the places

Chicagoans know. The curved live-edge bar at Goose Island Brewhouse. Custom pieces at

Oriole. Interior work at Salt Shed.

What's happening at Belden now is the most interesting chapter. The studio is becoming a

hub. In a city that keeps losing its industrial and maker spaces, I'm trying to build one that

lasts.

Angle D: Business / Evolution

For: Business of Home, Core77, Sight Unseen

Here's the honest math of running a custom furniture studio for 25 years.

In 2024, my shop did $618,000 in revenue. I had employees, overhead, materials, insurance.

Net result: a $97,000 loss. The margins on custom woodworking are thin, and the traditional

model is brutal.

So I restructured. I went back to working solo. I restructured my biggest client relationship

into a tenant relationship. I started renting out studio space. I'm launching woodworking

classes.

This isn't a pivot away from craft. It's a pivot toward financial sustainability. The studio

becomes a platform: a place where multiple creative businesses operate, where the space pays

for itself so I can keep doing what I actually love.

Angle E: Podcast Guest Pitch

For: Clever (Amy Devers), SemiStories, For Scale, Design Matters

Hi [Host],

I'm a furniture maker in Chicago, 25 years in. I think I'd be a good conversation for [Show

Name] because my path has been unusual and I've been thinking a lot about what a

sustainable creative practice actually looks like.

What I could talk about:

• The apprenticeship and Bauhaus lineage
• The economics of craft ($600K revenue, still lost money)
• Restructuring a creative business (employees to solo, overhead to income)
• Offcut and the zero-waste story (Dwell 24 in 2023)
• Building community around craft (Belden Woodshop vision)

Jason Lewis

jlfprojects.com | @jasonlewisfurniture

Subject Line Options

Tested format: specific, human, not salesy. Pick based on the outlet's tone.

General: 25 years of sawdust: A Chicago furniture maker's next chapter

Story: From day trader to master craftsman: 25 years building furniture in Chicago

Community: A woodshop that's becoming a community hub (and what 25 years of craft taught me)

Design: Dwell 24 designer, 25 years in — the studio is evolving

Sustainability: Zero waste, real joinery, 25 years: the Offcut story

Business: How a $600K furniture studio lost money — and what I did about it

Architecture: Bauhaus lineage in a Logan Square woodshop

Local: Chicago maker, 25 years: from solo craftsman to communal workshop

Outreach Timeline

Five phases from February through November 2026, timed to editorial calendars and key dates.

Outreach Timeline

Feb-Mar Phase 1: Podcasts, Digital, Blogs

Mar-Apr Phase 2: Tier 1 Design Press

Apr-May Phase 3: Chicago Local Press

Jun-Aug Phase 4: Anniversary Season

Sep-Nov Phase 5: Fall Design Season

Key Dates to Leverage

• Earth Day (April 22) — sustainability pitches
• ICFF / NYCxDesign (May) — design press context
• National Small Business Week (May) — business/evolution pitch
• NeoCon Chicago (June) — commercial design press in town
• 25th Anniversary Month — main event
• Design Miami (December) — year-end features

Media Contact Targets

Media Target Tiers

TIER 1: Dream Placements

Dezeen, Dwell, T Magazine, PIN-UP, Designboom

TIER 2: Strong Fit

Core77, Remodelista, Business of Home, Sight Unseen, Design-Milk, Curbed

TIER 3: Local & Niche

Chicago Magazine, gb&d, Inhabitat, Block Club Chicago

PODCASTS

Clever (Amy Devers), SemiStories, Design Matters

Full media contact list: 89 contacts across 52 publications in Airtable.

Supporting Materials Checklist

Must-Have

• 5-8 high-resolution images of JLF pieces
• 3-5 images of the studio/workshop in action
• 2-3 portrait photos of Jason (working, not posed)
• 3-5 Offcut product images
• One-page bio/about document

Nice-to-Have

• Before/after or process shots
• Notable commercial project images (Salt Shed, Oriole, Goose Island)
• Video walkthrough of studio (60-90 seconds)
• Press page on website
• Offcut lookbook or product sheet

For Podcasts

• Link to any existing audio/video interviews
• 2-3 conversation starter bullet points
• Headshot for show artwork

Follow-Up Template

Subject: Re: [Original subject line]

Hi [Name],

Just circling back on this — I know your inbox is probably a war zone. Wanted to flag that

[timely hook: e.g., "the 25th anniversary is coming up this summer" or "I just finished a new

commission I think your readers would love"].

Happy to send images, jump on a call, or host you at the studio if you're ever in Chicago. The

sawdust and coffee are always on.

Jason