José Regueiro’s interest in design and woodworking started at a very early age. His father was an engineering professor who taught him perspective drawing at about the age of five, a skill that has served him well as an artist and designer. On many occasions his father would take him along to the University of Central Cuba, where he taught and ran the engineering department. Young José would hang out in the shops, labs and foundries there which sparked his desire to create things. It was also in those youthful years that he started playing with woodworking tools. He remembers an early Christmas present, a toolbox full of mini carpenter’s tools that actually functioned. Years later in his teens he began designing and making actual furniture, buying his first table saw and hand tools at the age of 15. He excelled at drafting and woodwork and greatly enjoyed architecture and design. After graduating high school in Michigan he took a furniture design course at Detroit’s renowned College of Creative Studies. Using his skills at the age of 19 he began work at a small shop which then made a large variety of custom furniture and fine millwork. After honing his skills there for a couple of years he began his own studio in Rochester Hills, Michigan in 1981.

Shortly after he opened his studio, José and several other professional woodworkers founded the Michigan Woodworker’s Guild. In 1982 he helped the group organize their first major exhibit and he was honored with a “Best of Show” award for his vanity, chair and mirror ensemble in purpleheart, maple, and ebony. Since then he’s received a Michigan Creative Artists Grant in 1984. On two occaions his work was selected by The Detroit Institute of Arts for important exhibitions in 1992 and 1995. In 1994 he exhibited his musician chairs at New York’s El Museo Del Barrio for their 25th anniverary exhibition. His achievements have been archived by the Smithsonian-Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum for their Latino/Hispanic archive and publications. His works have been published in two books including The Guild-a sourcebook of American Craft Artists and a number of international magazines including an article of his “Centuries” sideboard for Home Furniture Magazine. In 1993/4 he began designing and making his “Earthen Elements” Hardware Collection, which is still in production today and sold nationally by a number of exclusive hardware showrooms. His hardware has been specified for a number of important homes and businesses such as Jean-Georges (restaurant) in New York City and Michael Jordan’s one sixtyblue (restaurant) in Chicago, both of which were designed by noted designer Adam Tihany in NYC. Other important clients include General Motors Corporation, Speedshape, Iroquois Industries, and numerous other clients and collectors throughout the United States.

José has designed hundreds of original furniture pieces as well as hardware and accessories for clients looking for quality contemporary pieces. He spends most days working in his studio situated in a renovated 1920’s automobile factory. This building houses a number of other craftsmen that he often calls upon for projects such as precision metal work. In the last few years he’s gotten involved in designing 2d and 3d work using the latest CGI software to model and render his designs for visualization. In 2005 he began designing his furniture with the help of this software, which is often used in the film and television industry. Today he’s busy designing, developing, and marketing new pieces for his company and clients.