Designer and woodworker Julie Jackson comes from a long lineage of craftspeople. A descendant of carpenters, painters, sewers, and woodworkers, Julie learned to make things from an early age. Julie grew up in a household where heirlooms included family-made bedside tables, desks, and quilts, and Surcle’s design practice reflects that sentimentality, creating handcrafted items meant to be passed down for generations.
Rooted in a mutual passion for the arts and the environment, Julie approaches design with more than a decade of woodworking experience and a degree in environmental science. Surcle’s pieces often feature soft, rounded curves and varied proportions, inspired by Julie’s favorite practice: turning on the lathe. This meditative wood-carving technique brings Julie close to her source material and offers an immersive experience as she creates furniture and lighting on a humming machine.
Eleven years into her design practice, Julie’s environmental approach includes using downed urban trees, repurposed wood scraps, plastic-free shipping, and sustainably conscious finishes. Julie also teaches these sustainable principles and design techniques at woodshops across Los Angeles.
Julie made her first lamp more than a decade ago and has since designed lighting for commercial spaces like Soho House Portland, Soho House Holloway, Hilton Waikoloa Village Ali’i Tower, The Driftway in Philadelphia, PA, and other residential projects.