Built in Los Angeles.
Made for Every Home.
Two furniture obsessives from East LA who got tired of choosing between beautiful and affordable — so they built something better.
A Garage in East LA and a Very Ugly Dining Set
In 2014, Marcus Rivera and Elena Soto were renovating a Craftsman bungalow in East Los Angeles. They wanted solid wood dining chairs that fit their aesthetic — simple lines, quality joinery, real hardwood — but everything they found was either cheap MDF dressed up as wood, or so expensive it required financing.
Marcus, a cabinetmaker by trade, started buying unfinished chairs wholesale, finishing them himself, and selling the extras to neighbors. Word spread fast. Within a year, he and Elena had a website, a small warehouse in Commerce, CA, and a waiting list of customers from Pasadena to Portland.
Today, UnfinishedDiningChairs.com ships nationwide, but the philosophy hasn't changed: give every customer the same raw, honest material Marcus started with — solid wood, properly built, ready for your vision.
The People Behind the Wood
Meet the Founders
Marcus Rivera
Co-Founder & Head of Product · East Los Angeles, CA
Marcus grew up watching his grandfather restore furniture in Boyle Heights, learning early that the best pieces are the ones that carry a maker's intent all the way through. After a decade as a cabinetmaker, he brought that same standard to every chair in our catalog — choosing joinery methods and wood species the way a craftsman should: slowly and without compromise.
Elena Soto
Co-Founder & Creative Director · Silver Lake, CA
Elena studied interior design at Cal Poly Pomona and spent years styling homes in the Hollywood Hills before she realized the market had a gap: beautiful bones at honest prices. She curates every silhouette in the collection with the same eye she brought to her design clients — asking whether a chair still looks right in 20 years before it ever makes the site.
What We Stand For
Three Commitments We Don't Bend On
Solid Wood, Always
We don't sell veneered particleboard dressed up as hardwood. Every chair in our catalog is solid lumber — because that's what takes a finish properly, holds a joint for decades, and is actually worth your time to finish.
Honest Pricing
No inflated "retail" prices with permanent markdowns. What you see is what we charge — a fair price for well-made furniture, without the showroom theatre. Our volume customers get volume pricing, no games.
Your Finish, Your Story
We believe the person who lives with a piece of furniture should have a hand in it. Unfinished chairs aren't a compromise — they're an invitation. Every coat of paint or stain makes the chair more yours.
Our Mission
We started this company because we believe everyone deserves furniture that's honest about what it is — and a chance to make it their own.— Marcus & Elena, Los Angeles
Our Journey
From East LA to Nationwide
2014
The Garage Begins
Marcus starts buying, finishing, and reselling unfinished chairs out of a garage in East Los Angeles. Neighbors start asking where to get them.
2015
Going Online
Elena builds the first version of the website. The first 50 chairs sell out in 11 days — entirely via word of mouth and a single Instagram post.
2017
Commerce Warehouse
We move out of the garage and into a 4,000 sq ft warehouse in Commerce, CA, adding five new chair styles and same-week shipping on the West Coast.
2020
Shipping All 48 States
A surge in home renovation during the pandemic doubles our order volume. We partner with freight carriers to offer reliable nationwide delivery within 10 business days.
Today
Still Making It Yours
Thousands of chairs have left our warehouse. Every single one arrived unfinished — and left its owner's home as something completely their own.
Ready to Make It Yours?
Browse our full collection of solid hardwood dining chairs — or reach out and say hello. We're always happy to talk wood.
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