A Guide to the Best of Southern California : HANDMADE : Have a Seat

After seeing Michael Graham’s intriguing benches and seats, it is hard not to agree with him when he says the design is all-important.

“I’m not just a furniture maker,” says the Laguna Hills artist. “I don’t just want to fabricate pieces. It’s the complete design palate that I’m interested in.”

Graham’s pieces can be characterized as art in a functional framework. He’s been making them since 1968, averaging, he says, about 20 new designs a year.

Most of the works are steel and are finished with auto-body paint, so they’re suitable for outdoor use. Prices range from $450 for 18-inch-by-18-inch round glass-top tables with sculptural steel bases to $1,800 for the zephyr hallway seat, which Graham calls “successful because the design balance and function mesh well.” One-of-a-kind pieces can go as high as $6,000.

Michael Graham; by appointment only, (714) 455-9919.