Approach & About
Who is Martin Cafasso, and how does the firm work?
Twenty years
Martin Cafasso has spent two decades building custom homes, architectural millwork, and furniture in and around Cambridge, Massachusetts. He started at the bench, and still works there.
That is the whole premise of the firm. The drawing and the cut belong to the same hands, so a detail does not get simplified on its way to the shop floor and quietly disappear on site.
After twenty years of building his own projects, Martin now takes contract work for other architects, interior designers, and homeowners: a kitchen, a stair, a paneled library, a run of historic moulding, or a single commissioned piece.
What is the collaborative model?
Cafasso Design Group is a collaborative of architects, designers, artisans, and craftsmen assembled around each project rather than a fixed roster looking for work to fill.
Concept to completion happens under one roof: schematic design, shop drawings, millwork, finish carpentry, and installation. For architects and designers who bring their own drawings, we slot in as the shop and hold your detail exactly as drawn.
Materials are specified at the top of the market and sourced deliberately. Nothing is substituted without a conversation.
How does the firm approach sustainability?
- Sustainably harvested wood
- We buy from small family-owned mills in New England and the Northeast. We know the species, the stand it came from, and the person who sawed it.
- Recycled and reclaimed material
- Salvaged timber, remilled flooring, and reclaimed stone are used wherever they serve the design rather than merely the story.
- Low-carbon methods
- Shop-built assemblies mean fewer deliveries and less waste on site. Offcuts go back into the furniture line rather than the dumpster.
- Built to be repaired
- Oil finishes that can be refreshed, joinery that can be taken apart, hardware that can be replaced in fifty years. Longevity is the quietest form of sustainability.
Working on something?
Commissions are open to architects, interior designers, and homeowners.
Start a Project