Nia Okonkwo Studio
Studio Profile

Nia Okonkwo

Trained in industrial design at RISD and refined across twelve years in Chicago cabinet shops. I build furniture and interior millwork where tolerance matters. Rather than supplying generic 3D renderings, our studio produces clear, constructible drawing sets and stays on the shop floor through glue-up, assembly, and on-site scribing.

Philosophy of Build Tolerances

Most furniture fails at the transition points: the glue joint that did not account for seasonal expansion, the wall scribe that assumed a ninety-degree corner, or the hardware that cannot be serviced twenty years later. Our work is designed from the joint outward so that every piece can be disassembled, adjusted, and repaired indefinitely.

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Nia Okonkwo in the Pilsen studio
STUDIO & WOODSHOP

1924 S Halsted St, Studio 3B, Chicago, IL 60608

Fabrication Tooling

Precision Machinery & Field Diagnostics

Our Pilsen facility combines heavy industrial cast-iron timber processing machinery with digital site diagnostic tools.

SITE DIAGNOSTICS

Leica 3D Laser Scanning

Captures 2 million spatial points per room, mapping out-of-plumb walls, ceiling dips, and floor deflection to within 0.5mm accuracy before drafting CAD sets.

TIMBER PREPARATION

Martin T45 Contour Planer

Heavy German cast-iron cutterhead producing dead-flat reference faces on up to 24-inch wide solid hardwood slabs without internal stress tearing.

MECHANICAL JOINERY

Festool Domino XL & Custom Jigs

Deep-penetration solid beech tenons and proprietary steel knockdown connectors engineered for tight structural joints that survive multiple relocations.

Collaborations

Selected Clients & Commissions

We build for discerning homeowners, boutique culinary groups, and forward-thinking architects across North America.

Cafe Colectivo Chicago Custom Barstools & Banquettes
Vance Residence (Humboldt) Perimeter Library & Reading Room
Archipelago Books Display Vitrines & Storage
Pilsen Arts Incubator Conferencing Tables (14-Seat)