Meet Marcelles & Michelle Murdock

We recently connected with Marcelles & Michelle Murdock and have shared our conversation below.

Marcelles & Michelle, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Our road to becoming fine furniture makers had a few zig zags and it definitely took some years to feel confident claiming ourselves as professional artisans.

I have been experimenting with woodworking and other aspects of fabrication since I was a teenager, but developed a more serious interest in my mid twenties. I didn’t have many resources back then, so I relied heavily on a basic set of tools and worked on small projects for friends and family. During that era, much of my free time outside of my photography career was spent in research mode–seeking out online woodworkers I admired and studying their shop dynamics, the machines they used, and overall best practices in the industry. I was learning so much during that time and continued to chip away on a variety of projects–but still felt like I was in the novice phase of my journey.

As my desire to advance to the next level in the trade grew, I realized I needed to invest in and learn how to use large woodworking machinery. After months of research, I finally pulled the trigger on my first large machine purchase–an industrial table saw. It was a significant investment and quite a process to get the saw set up and calibrated, and I remember feeling a little intimidated to turn it on for the first time. Thankfully though, my drive to build overpowered those nerves and over time I learned all the ins and outs of the machine. Within a few years, we continued to invest in more large machinery until we had everything we needed to start our fine furniture business.

In retrospect, the growth of my confidence in the workshop was a gradual experience. You can remain in the research phase indefinitely, but at some point you have to take that first step forward into the unknown and be willing to navigate through the creation process. The more projects you take on, the more experiences you gain that will enrich your process, skill set, and style. Eventually, the moment will arrive when you move from emulation of those you admire to begin creating from what’s within and when that happened for me, the feelings of imposter syndrome faded.

Michelle’s journey was slightly different while navigating elements of imposter syndrome. Her hands have stayed busy with refinishing furniture and renovation projects since way back in high school, but she always thought of her efforts more as a creative hobby. Although she had many projects under her belt, she had yet to experience a defining moment as a professional furniture maker back then.

Yet, when we began to have deeper conversations about starting Terraforma Designs, she went on a quest to find the best products and finishing practices for our furniture. That’s when she discovered no VOC oils, pigments, and waxes, and the art of hand finishing furniture. She fell in love with the process, developed her own style, and never looked back. Those were the moments when she felt she stepped into her confidence as a maker. She remembers feeling a little out of place at supply houses in the beginning of our business journey, but that faded as she began to push herself to move freely in uncomfortable spaces.

Eventually, it dawned on her that if you have an idea and then use your abilities to create something out of thin air, you are what you say you are. The first chapter of your journey is just as relevant as your twentieth, and you will never be done learning and polishing your craft. She realized that the sooner you can get out of your own way and claim a role for yourself, the easier it becomes to speak it to the world.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

We are Marcelles and Michelle Murdock, the husband and wife artisanal duo behind Terraforma Designs–a sustainable home & commercial furnishings company based in the Mojave Desert, CA.

Our separate worlds intertwined back in 2012, when we were introduced by mutual friends at our hometown café after spending much of our lives as passing ships in the night. Soon into this connection, we realized we had very similar dreams for the future and this initiated a journey that encouraged us to grow together in love, rich experiences, and the development of a multitude of artisanal abilities.

In 2021, we collected up all of our passion and artisanal skills and set out to shift our lives to honor our core values—to make beautiful heirloom furniture, engage deeply with the artistic community, and answer the call of our adventure seeking hearts. Terraforma Designs was then brought to life—a company dedicated to creating unique and sustainable furnishings that are meant to honor the elements and last lifetimes.

Our specialties at the Terraforma studio include fine woodworking, milling, metal fabrication, patina, stone, masonry, and everything in between. We draw our inspiration from nature, architecture, rituals, art, and cultures from all over the world.

We take great pride in our work and build our furniture from sustainably sourced hardwoods that we hand finish in no VOC oils, pigments, and waxes. Prioritizing these fundamentals in our process is what we believe sets us apart from mass produced modern furniture–which is often made from engineered wood and finished in polyurethanes that can have a negative effect on health and air quality.

We have learned many of our skills from artisans that have documented their processes online and such has inspired us to share many corners of our artisanal journey with the goal to be a resource to those seeking a similar path. As our business evolves, we hope to continue to connect with, encourage, and be mutually inspired by clients and creatives from all walks of life.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Reflecting back on our entrepreneurial journey, we’ve realized that much influence from our past roles has greatly shaped how we’ve developed our own business dynamics.

Prior to Terraforma Designs, I spent many years working in various sectors of the service industry along with an epoch teaching middle school, while Marcelles also has a service industry history followed by a 12 year career as a professional photographer.

Although our previous roles were quite different from our current, they revolved heavily around engaging with a multitude of people and environments–providing us with the incredible gift of interpersonal skills. In those realms, we gained effective communication, adaptability, conflict resolution skills, and the ability to build positive relationships. Our interpersonal skills have proven especially important and heavily called upon–as they guide and strengthen us in every aspect of our business.

Another quality that greatly supports our daily flow is to become as multifaceted as you can in your business operations–especially in the beginning. For us, this meant we took the time to learn how to manufacture and develop repeatability in every major aspect of our furniture production in order to maintain impeccable quality, avoid delays, and remain connected to the core of our creation process.

Along with that, we have learned all the ins and outs of our website and administrative components of the business and such has helped us navigate many unforeseen problems. Eventually, as you grow, there will be aspects of your work that may have to be contracted out, but having a deep understanding of every corner of your operation is worth its weight in gold.

Lastly, a quality we’ve deemed especially important is to find ways to maintain the creative energy you began your venture with. It’s natural to begin with a wealth of passion–but the realities and financial stresses of starting and growing a new business can quickly deplete your reserves. Our advice is to check in with yourself daily, seek out other creative people that inspire you, and always keep a no pressure passion project on the backburner that can remind you why you took the leap.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

At this point in time, we are searching for other creatives in our corner of the world to connect and collaborate with. Over the last few months, we’ve been sketching out what we envision for the next chapter of Terraforma Designs and feel called to expand the scope of our work into the commercial sector of the design industry.

Our goal is to take on larger custom woodworking projects and build outs for restaurants, bars, cafes, storefronts, and beyond. We anticipate this expansion to include working alongside interior designers, architects, and fellow artisans on multifaceted projects.

Along with that, with the many severe environmental issues facing California, we hope to use this next era to deepen our understanding of how to intelligently build sustainable and beautiful structures that stand the test of time.

Back when we first met, Marcelles became highly intrigued by earthen buildings due to their unique beauty, capacity to last for centuries, amazing resistance to fire, pests, and decay, low carbon footprint, and durability in the face of natural disasters.

For some time, he has been researching and experimenting with adobe brick and rammed earth building techniques in tandem with fine furniture making. In the coming years, we will aim to master these processes with the hope to expand our business into the realm of earthen construction and renovation.

We look forward to all the experiences that will accompany our ever-evolving artisanal dreams and can’t wait to meet and work with others who hold similar values and goals.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Marcelles Murdock
Michelle Murdock

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