Tom was born on the Navaho Reservation in Ganado, Arizona. He was five when his family moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where he grew up. Tom attended Western Washington University and got degrees in Geophysics and Environmental Geology. After college, while doing geophysical research in Yellowstone Park, Tom built a small scribe-fit log cabin on land owned by his family in the Beartooth Mountains and realized he was more interested in working with wood than working as a geophysicist. After meeting Jennifer, he moved to Missoula, Montana, where he set up a woodworking shop and started designing and building furniture. Currently, Tom builts gallery and commission pieces and teaches woodworking in his Bellingham, Washington studio.

Jennifer grew up in Missoula, Montana. She attended Willamette University, the University of Regensburg in Germany, and the University of Montana, finishing up with degrees in English and Environmental Studies. Jennifer worked for the YMCA, the Montana Natural History Center, Clark Fork School, and then enjoyed being an full-time mom when her daughter, Alex, was born. As Tom started designing and building furniture, Jennifer took classes in stained glass design and began building commissioned pieces, often collaborating with Tom. Jennifer expanded into the art of marquetry (pictures made with wood veneers) after taking a course at Anderson Ranch Art Center from marquetarian Craig Vandall Stevens. Jennifer has been working as an artisan for 22 years.