Who is Austen / Morris?
Austen / Morris is a design and build studio based in Washington, DC, specializing in high-quality, freestanding hardwood furniture finished with natural oils.
Each piece is designed and crafted by hand in our Mt. Rainier workshop, combining traditional and modern techniques to create a new kind of timeless furniture. We use premium, sustainably sourced lumber, often harvested locally from the mid-Atlantic region.
Founded by Dennis Turbeville in 2020 after a 15-year career in branding and advertising, Austen / Morris allows him to pursue his passion for furniture and share his craft.
Vanessa Clement, a designer and craftswoman, works on each piece from sketch to delivery. She holds a BFA in Product Design from Parsons School of Design.
The studio is named after Dennis's two children, whose middle names are Austen and Morris.
Press
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“In this episode, we sit down with Dennis, founder of Austen Morris Furniture, to discuss the journey of building a brand that represents high-quality, custom furniture. Dennis shares his philosophy on building strong, lasting relationships with designers, maintaining top-tier quality, and the intentional approach behind Austen Morris's unique, luxury pieces.”
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“Dennis returned to his childhood passion of building, bringing with him his grown up passion for the world of design. Combining both into the well groomed furniture company, Austen / Morris, we see today.”
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“Meet a carpenter whose thoughtfulness in design reaches down to the very trees he selects to use. Find out his creative process and why he took the plunge, going from a career in advertising to a woodworker.”
– Jeff Swicord, Reporter/Camera/Editor -
“This year, Dennis Turbeville, a woodworker in Washington, used the mobile payment service Venmo to sell his wares, collect payments on a rental property and split personal expenses with family and friends.
He carefully tracks income for his business, Austen Morris Custom Furniture, with QuickBooks software and works with an accountant to make sure everything he owes to the federal government is paid correctly.
But Mr. Turbeville is concerned that a recent tax change intended to crack down on tax evasion by small businesses and those operating in the “gig” economy will mean more paperwork and headaches from the Internal Revenue Service. He is hopeful that if there are any unintended discrepancies, his business will be too small to attract an audit.”
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“We’re thrilled to have Dennis Turbeville, a furniture maker, of Austen / Morris join us. He shares all about his transition from marketing to woodworking and the physical, financial and emotional challenges that come with building a business.”