Jason Rosky he grew up in Texas in a middle-class family, but even at a young age he was inspired by art and architecture. When he was in elementary school and took field trips to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, he was one of the few students interested in the building designed by Louis Kahn and the works inside.
Roskey later went to college and envisioned a more traditional path for himself. “I didn’t know I could pursue a creative life and career,” she says. “I spent years doing business-type things for a living. It wasn’t until I moved to New York that I really started to explore furniture and interiors.”
Photo: Maggie Goodsmith
A self-taught woodworker, Roskey made pieces by hand in Brooklyn. His practice evolved and he established Fern in 2009. Today he operates the company from a studio and workshop in Hudson, New York, continuing the region’s long tradition of producing quality furniture. Roskey first designs each item, which is then manufactured in-house by a team of skilled fabricators.
The studio now offers lighting, which is a natural complement to the sculptural tables and chairs. Hand-crafted fiberglass and goat parchment on select fixtures are paired with cast aluminum, blackened steel and sandblasted bronze bases. This inaugural collection is now available alongside designer furniture at Junctions, the first exhibition at the Assembly Line Annex in Tribeca, a new General Assembly showroom.
Quick to grasp concepts as they come to him, Roskey continues to refine his initial models. “I’m always sketching and drawing in many ways,” she notes. “Often, when I have a really pressing idea, I design directly at the bench, working through templates for different shapes.”
Today, Jason Roskey is with us Friday five!
Photo: Courtesy of Fern
1. Camper Van
In 2023 our studio needed a truck to move furniture parts, wallpaper and other items between manufacturing partners. We ordered this 2024 Sprinter Van that splits time between shop work and as a camping rig. It is equipped with a berth, wifi and a light canoe store above.
Photo: Courtesy of Fern
2. John Porritt Welsh Chair
My favorite type of chairs are the traditional chairs found around the world, such as Windsors Farmhouse of England, Alpine Tavern Chairs and the Welsh Stick Chair. The Welsh Stick Chair really is every man’s Windsor – much less ornate and often made from local green woods and hedgerow material. All parts of the chair are made with different hand tools and no part is turned on a lathe. Because the chairs were historically made by amateur carpenters or village craftsmen, each one has a unique character. John Porritt is based in Spencertown, New York. A native of the UK, John has been making this simple style of chair for decades. His are the most sophisticated (and comfortable) I’ve come across. While John’s chairs share the simplicity of earlier Welsh chairs, they have modern proportions. Visiting John for tea in the old Dutch barn workshop to discuss all things woodworking is a delight. His chairs are among my favorite creations in the country. He uses wood sourced entirely from his home in the Hudson Valley and dried next to his shop’s wood stove. I commissioned John a few years ago to make me this Welsh 8 stick chair. Often his chairs are expertly finished to look vintage, but he painted this one black to naturally develop a patina over time.
Photo: Courtesy of Fern
3. Secret Catskills Creek
My favorite way to spend time alone is fly fishing. Standing in a river waving a stick to trick a trout into eating a fly – and then releasing it – may seem silly to some, but it’s my favorite way to relax. The Catskills region has a variety of river types, and the fishing I do in these places can be relaxing dry fly fishing using traditional flies, but mostly it’s long hikes and fords in boulder-strewn streams. Forests, river, geological formations and wildlife provide a lot for the work I do.
Photo: Courtesy of Fern
4. Baja Sur
I haven’t explored much of Mexico, but I’ve seen enough to know that I love it. In college, we would take trips to border towns – places that are no longer safe to visit. It felt like such an adventure in those days. My family and I try to get to Baja Sur every few years. The area consists of my favorite types of landscapes – a collision of mountains, desert and ocean in close proximity.
Photo: Courtesy of Fern
5. Paris, Texas Poster
Wim Wenders’ movie “Paris, Texas” made an impression on me when I saw it while attending college in West Texas. Here was this movie that wasn’t actually about Texas at all, but it was too. Wenders’ portrayal of American alienation resonated with me, a small-town kid who had no idea where he was going or how to get there. Of course there’s also Ry Cooder’s incredibly beautiful soundtrack.
Works by Jason Roskey of Fern:
Photo: courtesy of Fern
Tulia Dining Room
Inspired by the rock formations of Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, the Tulia dining table features monumental base elements made from laminated hardwoods.
Photo: courtesy of Fern
Torre table lamp
The Torre series of lamps refers to forms of brutalist architecture, Casa Luis Barragán, using refined wood and metal processing techniques.
Photo: courtesy of William Jess Laird
Junctions report in the Assembly Line Annex
Junctions by Jason Roskey by Fern is a new collection of lighting and furniture made entirely in the Hudson Valley. Working with parchment, fiberglass, metal and wood, the pieces explore the interplay of weight and lightness.
Photo: courtesy of Fern
Ridge bed
The Ridge Bed is a solid hardwood platform bed that features a solid upholstered headboard using leather and dark or white bronze hardware. The bed has two floating cupboards with cast bronze pulls and cord management from the back of the side tables. Platform base available in plinth or standard style.
Photo: courtesy of Fern
Elwha Office
Influenced by natural valleys and extreme river environments, a deep ravine is carved into the casing of the Elwha locker. The doors are accessible in cast white sandblasted bronze that reflect a warm silver tone.
Photo: courtesy of Fern
Sheffield Sectional, Ned Floor Lamp, Clois Daybed
Referring to mid-20th century forms, the Sheffield wallpaper collection features exposed wooden arm and panel fittings. The Ned floor lamp is our first foray into sculptural lighting that is an extension of the laminated wood pieces we’ve been exploring. The Ned features a built-in hardwood base, hand molded fiberglass and wood, and custom steel. And the Clois Daybed is a monumentally sized piece that features hardwood construction with classic joinery details such as wedge-shaped and carved wood canopies and leg details. The mattress features a heavy, removable bolster and a feather-filled pillow that matches the bolster.
