by Maleeha Sambur

As a longtime fan of the late George Nakashima's work, I'd been dying to make the pilgrimage to his home and studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania. One Saturday this past summer, my husband and I were finally able to make the trip and got an intimate glimpse into the life and work of the master craftsman. Nestled in the woods some 70 miles from the thrum of New York City, the parcel of land Mr. Nakashima purchased in 1945 eventually came to house fourteen buildings of his design. It's also where he and his Japanese-American family rebuilt their lives after being forced to leave their home in Seattle for an Idaho internment camp, from which they were eventually released through the sponsorship of architect Antonin Raymond, who invited them to join him in New Hope.