Craftsmanship in motion: The Good Mod

Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” It is with this sentiment that we are featuring this series of profiles in craftsmanship. Photo essays of passion, dedication, sweat, and an obsession with detail. In the same manner we approach shoemaking, these talented creators and makers are proving that design can be simultaneously timeless AND original.

The Good Mod is a furniture house that buys, sells, and repairs mid-century modern pieces and builds contemporary furniture. But the company has humble beginnings. “It started out as a hobby—just fixing up furniture in my garage,” says founder and designer Spencer Staley. 

Self-taught, Spencer applies a uniquely intuitive approach to his designs.

It’s about keeping it simple, and it’s a philosophy that works in design and business. “I grew out of my garage into a small warehouse space, bought some tools, and hired a few people to help out with the workload,” Spencer says. “And it’s been on that trajectory ever since, growing slowly and organically. No loan. I just put the money I made back into the business.”

And it’s worked: The Good Mod currently employs a modest, hard-working team in a 20,000-square-foot loft down the street from KEEN HQ in Portland, Oregon’s Pearl District.

When asked about innovation, Spencer is quick to answer. “It’s about learning,” he says. “I’m motivated to learn something new because it’s fun. And then that becomes innovation. But it has to be enjoyable and fun. That’s how ideas turn into something.”

And that makes us happy—because otherwise, classic Good Mod designs, like a mid-century modern ping pong conference table, might have never seen the light of day.