About Us
While it is easy to admire Ernest Thompson products for their beauty and quality, its more difficult to appreciate the finesse that transforms raw materials into fine furniture and cabinets. We owe our distinctive products to time honored techniques that include mortise and tenon joinery used in all ET furniture construction and the French dovetails used in our drawer making, hand carved details and multi-step, hand rubbed finishes.
In an era of bell bottom jeans and love beads, Ernest Thompson came into existence in the early 70’s. Ernest Thompson, a self-taught artist, began woodworking as a way to make frames for his artwork. This humble start in woodworking evolved into Ernest Thompson Furniture.
By the late 80’s, Ernest found that running a furniture company on a day to day basis was not his passion. In 1989 Ernest met Mike and Doreen Godwin, Wall Streeters looking for a more relaxed lifestyle. The Godwin’s were enamored with Ernest’s designs. They recognized the craftsmanship and exquisite design elements in each piece of his furniture.
Doing business with Ernest Thompson is very much a family affair. Every Ernest Thompson team member is dedicated to providing our customers with exceptional service and unyielding craftsmanship. We are often asked, by our customers, about the craftsman that built their furniture or perhaps about the friendly voice on the phone who answered all of their questions. Please meet a small sampling of the folks that are Ernest Thompson.
We love helping people realize their furniture and cabinet vision, whether it’s designing a single, beautiful custom piece, or creating a stunning space in the home. The process starts by talking with one of our designers, either in person at our Albuquerque showroom/workshop, or by phone and e-mail. Our expert staff will guide you through decisions on wood species, finish, fabrics, embellishments and any other design elements needed to create your perfect piece.
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When you’ve been at this as long as we have, you accumulate lots of design drawings. We have large archives of hand renderings, many dating back 50 years or more. Today, many of those custom designs have become some of the most treasured standard designs in our catalog. Our unique ability to customize, allows an endless design resource for all to enjoy.
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"The artisans of the American Southwest are caretakers for the land, and their works depict the origins and roots of their culture and heritage." - Louis Sagar
Recognized for our timeless designs and handcrafted quality, Ernest Thompson is proud of our team of designers and artisans who transform our clients concepts into breathtaking reality.
We are very proud of the fact that 100% of our furniture is made in our Albuquerque, NM workshop. During that time, thousands of pieces of furniture have been shipped to all 50 states as well as Canada, Mexico and various European countries.
If you combined the number of years our three brands, Ernest Thompson, Taos Furniture and Southwest Spanish Craftsmen, have been hand crafting furniture in New Mexico, that number would exceed 200 years. We feel a huge commitment to our community, as well as our skilled artisans, to continue that tradition for many years to come.
In Their Words
Please contact us to learn more about our process or products and our knowledgeable staff will respond promptly.
