Merritt’s painstakingly detailed product has earned the devotion of some of the world’s leading interior designers and architects. The company has worked on a wide range of projects, including a modern beach house in Malibu designed by Richard Meier and Christian Liaigre; a Manhattan penthouse designed by Robert A.M. Stern and Nathalie Droulers; and a massive traditional residence in East Hampton designed by Hart Howerton and Bunny Williams. Although wood is a more orthodox material, it is not outmoded, and thus suitable for any interior style. Wood has sensibilities of strength, but is poetic in a most contemporary sense. “People have worked with wood, crafted things of necessity as well as luxury, since the beginning of civilization,” says Michael.