Martin Goebel, founder of Goebel Furniture, poses for a portrait with a piece that will be featured in the upcoming Smithsonian Craft Show at his warehouse in St. Louis, on April 16, 2026. “I like to think of furniture as a vessel for memories,” Goebel said.
Liz Rymarev, Post-Dispatch
New subscriber benefit!
Copied to clipboard
Out of gifts for the month
Unfortunately you've used all of your gifts this month. Your counter will reset on the first day of next month.
Craftsmen River Johnson, left, and Kessler Higdon works on pieces at the Goebel Furniture warehouse in St. Louis, on Thursday, April 16, 2026. The furniture company was selected to showcase their pieces at the upcoming Smithsonian Craft Show.
From left, Kessler Higdon, Luke Dawson, founder of Goebel Furniture Martin Goebel, River Johnson and Jesse Epple, all craftsmen, pose for a portrait with a piece that will be shown at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Goebel’s warehouse in St. Louis, on Thursday, April 16, 2026. They work together to craft high-end furniture pieces through Goebel’s direction. “A lot of what we do is upcycling and transformation, it’s a matter of giving it another life,” Goebel said.
Furniture-maker Martin Goebel, center, shows his table made of zebrawood to a crowd of admirers at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C., in April, 2026.
The show's highlight is an 80-foot-long replica of a real blue whale skeleton.
Martin Goebel, founder of Goebel Furniture, poses for a portrait with a piece that will be featured in the upcoming Smithsonian Craft Show at his warehouse in St. Louis, on April 16, 2026. “I like to think of furniture as a vessel for memories,” Goebel said.
Furniture-maker Martin Goebel, center, shows his table made of zebrawood to a crowd of admirers at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C., in April, 2026.
From left, Kessler Higdon, Luke Dawson, founder of Goebel Furniture Martin Goebel, River Johnson and Jesse Epple, all craftsmen, pose for a portrait with a piece that will be shown at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Goebel’s warehouse in St. Louis, on Thursday, April 16, 2026. They work together to craft high-end furniture pieces through Goebel’s direction. “A lot of what we do is upcycling and transformation, it’s a matter of giving it another life,” Goebel said.
Craftsmen River Johnson, left, and Kessler Higdon works on pieces at the Goebel Furniture warehouse in St. Louis, on Thursday, April 16, 2026. The furniture company was selected to showcase their pieces at the upcoming Smithsonian Craft Show.
