Kauai woodworker Hayley Davison honors the natural beauty of island woods such as koa and ohia by integrating their patterns and colors into quietly elegant furniture designs fusing Japanese influences with American Mission style. Often, she will add handcarved surface details of plants and other wildlife.	Ohia and koa wood dresser, 2003
Cherry highboy, built in 1988 while attending North Bennett Street School.	Her interest in woodworking began as a child building dollhouse furniture from balsa wood. Years later she pursued her childhood passion by attending North Bennett Street School in Boston, the oldest trade school in the U.S., specializing in traditional 17th and 18th century woodworking joinery and techniques. Upon completing the cabinet and furniture making program she spent several years gaining practical experience in a cabinet shop and taking fine art courses at Massachusetts College of Art and University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In addition she also taught courses in woodcarving at North Bennett Street School and Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Aspen, Colorado.
In winter of 1995 she was offered a job with a new woodworking company forming on Kauai. Feeling restless and ready for a change, she accepted the offer without hesitation. Besides, as she is quick to point out, it was February in Boston. Since then she has continued to pursue her craft on the island of Kauai. Through her company- Davison Furniture Design- Hayley creates furniture inspired by the beauty of island woods and built to last using traditional techniques and joinery.	Ohia and koa wood vessel with handcarved surface, 2003
Koa Couch, 2003	Recent exhibitions: Art Kauai 2003, Kauai Society of Artists' annual juried exhibition, October 25 through November 23, 2003. Kauai Museum, Lihue, June 5 through July 31, 2003. Custom furniture design and commissions welcome. Crating and shipping are available.