self-taught designer; self-described “wasteworker.” michael douglas too isn’t of a long line of woodworkers or the product of an esteemed art school. he came to his current place of being through a fixation on materials and a passion to do better.

his background is as unconventional as his designs: university studies in biology and business, followed by nearly a decade in the environmental chemistry & hazardous waste industries, a career about-face working at a dealership for modern furniture icon knoll, a shift to furniture repair and restoration and, finally, to designing and building his own creations in the most sustainable way possible — from found, repurposed & waste materials without the use of petroleum derived products during the manufacturing process.

currently based in porto working out of èstudio morto vivo (living dead), mdt hopes his work can inspire people to change their perceptions of what is possible with waste and what happens when we prioritize sustainability over convenience through our creative processes.

email---> michaeldouglastoo@gmail.com

cv highlights

selected exhibitions & residencies
2026 apparatus (group show), estúdio morto vivo, porto
2025 artist-in-residence, james castle house, boise
2024 paraphernalia (group show), tbg, new york

selected commissions & projects
2026 wood & marble coffee table for private client, porto
2025 mixed wood bar cart for private client, porto
2023-24 design and furnishings for venn restaurant, porto

professional development & certifications
2026 leed green associate (in progress), u.s. green building council
2024 sustainable materials for design summer school, elisava, barcelona
2016 green a.p., sustainable furnishings council

education
bachelor’s degrees in biology & managerial studies,
university of redlands, california