Press & Gift Guide Kit

About KHEM Studios

KHEM Studios is a design and woodworking studio in New York's Hudson Valley, founded by Erik Guzman and Kari Lorenson. What started as a shared obsession with material and form has become a studio practice built around one idea: the objects you use every day should be worth caring about.

Every KHEM board is crafted from solid American hardwood — walnut, cherry, maple, and ebonized ash — sourced from domestic mills and shaped in our studio. No veneers. No composites. No shortcuts. Just honest material, sculpted to last.

We make boards that people actually use. They get pulled out for Tuesday night dinner and for Thanksgiving. They collect knife marks and oil patina and the quiet evidence of meals shared. That's the whole point. A KHEM board isn't precious — it's present.

The name KHEM is a family acronym. The interlocking joint in our mark represents how we think about everything we make: two forms meeting with intention, each one stronger because of the other.

The Studio — Erik Guzman & Kari Lorenson

Erik and Kari are both MFAs from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Erik continues to direct the BFA Fine Arts Sculpture program and the Digital Sculpture Lab at SVA, where he has taught since 2001; Kari managed and taught in the Fine Arts department at SVA from 2010 to 2014. Erik is an exhibiting artist with solo and group shows at Front Room Gallery, Exit Art, The Kitchen, Smack Mellon, and El Museo del Barrio, among others. Earlier in their careers, the founders' shared fabrication practice produced work for artists whose pieces are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and The Broad. Kari also researched, developed, and produced vermiculated textile surfacing for the Haas Brothers studio — whose work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cooper Hewitt, LACMA, and the RISD Museum. KHEM brings that same discipline — material integrity, considered form, nothing decorative for its own sake — to objects for the kitchen and table.

Press & Recognition

Selected outlets that have recognized KHEM's work across product lines.

Homewares & Kitchen

• Architectural Digest
• The New York Times
• The Wall Street Journal
• Martha Stewart
• Real Simple
• Food & Wine
• Oprah's Favorite Things (2025)

Furniture

• Architectural Digest

Featured Pieces

A curated editorial selection from the KHEM Boards collection.

All prices in USD. Browse the full board collection →

Fast Facts

Editor FAQ

Pre-answered questions editors ask most often.

Who makes the boards?

Every board is designed and shaped by Erik Guzman and Kari Lorenson in the KHEM studio in the Hudson Valley. The studio is the workshop — there's no second production site, no outsourcing.

Where is the wood sourced?

All hardwoods are sourced from domestic US mills. Species used are walnut, cherry, maple, and ebonized ash. No veneers. No composites.

What's the lead time?

In-stock boards ship in 3–5 business days. Made-to-order pieces (including custom Peg Board colorways) typically ship in 3–4 weeks.

Can readers personalize a board?

We don't offer personalization on boards. One exception: custom corporate gifting projects, which we evaluate case-by-case.

What's the price range?

Boards run from $100 to $435, which makes the collection useful for multi-tier gift guides (under $150, under $250, splurge). The most featured price point is $125–$200.

Are review samples available?

We don't loan samples. Our full catalog is online with detailed product photography that shows grain, finish, and proportions at high resolution. For hands-on review, we're happy to refer you to a retailer near you carrying our work — just ask.

Press Contact