Cascadia A & E Magazine
November 2007
Gallis, of Norseman Designs West, has been fashioning custom furniture for over thirty-five years. A native New Yorker, he began building furnishings at age 21. He eventually formed a profitable relationship with Bloomingdales, building custom cabinetry for the upscale department store. But, his heart wasn’t in it. “It was like having to color within the lines,” says the furniture designer.
In 1995, after moving his family to Cody, Wyoming, and working for a local furniture maker, he opened Norseman Designs West, where he began building a new line of award-winning, high-end western furniture. He combines the simple honesty of Shaker-style furniture with the flowing curves of Art Nouveau.
Winner of many national awards, Gallis’ work brings together imaginative sensibility and striking elegance. Each piece is designed to fit the client’s needs and handcrafted based on the feel of the wood and the flow of the grain so that no two pieces are alike. “Western style shouldn’t hit you on the head with western accents everywhere,” says Gallis. “Nor should it be so simple, with just fence posts and antlers all over. It should have a relaxed, organic look that you won’t grow tired of.”
Gallis’ work is displayed in Cody and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Bozeman, Montana.