Ben Little builds furniture, cabinetry, and architectural metalwork with the conviction that quality should endure
In 2014, Ben Little left his home state of Mississippi for a carpentry fellowship with Landrum Tables in Charleston and began building tables from reclaimed wood and steel. “I was totally green,” he recollects. But, Little was curious—about materials, design, and what he could do differently—and persistent. He continued his education through trial and error and guidance from talented makers he met along the way. Three years later, he opened Benjamin Paul Studio, a solo effort that has since grown into a collaborative workspace at the Charleston Design District with a dozen artisans and a team-first approach. Together, they create fine furniture, cabinetry, and architectural metalwork for clients seeking heirloom-quality pieces built to last generations.
Today, curiosity still drives the studio, while beauty, simplicity, and versatility guide every project. “The objective is always beauty and elegance in anything we build,” Little explains. “The project’s complexity doesn’t change the standard of the final outcome. It has to sing.” He describes their disciplines—furniture, millwork, and metalwork—as “fingers of a fist, craftsmanship being the fist.” The work is entirely custom and commission-based, spanning cabinetry, dining tables, and case goods for residential clients to large-scale millwork and metal installations for restaurants and hotels.
Material choices carry an ethical weight for Little and his team. Domestic hardwoods approved by the Forest Stewardship Council are a priority, and clients are steered toward aluminum wherever possible, given its almost infinite recyclability. Offcuts are collected in a corner of the shop, where artists can take material free of charge. Recently, the studio joined a “repair fair” sponsored by Wake Refill. “It was this beautiful expression of community where people from all walks of life brought their old and worn items to us for repair,” Little says. Being “a good ancestor,” he explains, means choosing the best materials and joinery techniques while remaining conscious of what happens to them afterward—building well and repairing what already exists will keep objects out of landfills.
Before a single piece of wood is cut, the studio develops photorealistic renderings and technical shop drawings for each project. As Charleston’s appetite for custom design has grown, so has the scale and sophistication of the commissions. One project Little remains especially fond of is the unlacquered brass shelving behind the bar at The Ordinary. “It’s a joy going there and seeing how that brass has aged with time,” he says. “I love to imagine the life and stories that have taken place around those pieces, really all of our pieces.”
Long Game: Ben Little lives by this mantra: “We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in one year, but we underestimate what we can accomplish in 10.” May marked the studio’s 10th anniversary.
Client List: The studio has built custom pieces for noted interior designers, including Betsy Berry, Hunter Floyd, and JLV Creative.
Material Palette: Domestic hardwoods, aluminum, unlacquered brass, leather, ceramics, and mixed metals
Full House: The team has taken on whole-home projects, producing furniture, millwork, and architectural metalwork under one roof.
Learn More: www.benjaminpaulstudio.com
