Studio Bronco Aims To Shape Texas’ Design Vocabulary With New Studio in Dallas — A PaperCity Exclusive

In an exclusive to PaperCity, design partners Tate De Smet and Chase Rowan announce the launch of Studio Bronco, a design collective creating furniture, lighting, and art installations rooted in Texas heritage and innovation.

“Texas has never had a formal design vocabulary,” De Smet says. “With Studio Bronco, we want to make something genuine that shapes Texas’ design vocabulary.”

The duo’s platonic meet-cute happened at The Adolphus when Rowan noticed and commented on De Smet’s faded tattoo of a chair. It was a meeting with divine foreshadowing, as Studio Bronco’s debut furniture offering is a sleek dining chair. Crafted by skilled artisans in central Mexico with Mexican oak and saddle leather, the dining chair showcases everything that Studio Bronco represents. It’s gritty yet elegant. It’s raw yet refined. It feels distinctly Texan.

The collective caters to collectors and those who, like De Smet and Rowan, respect furniture as art, as sculpture. In describing their creations, neither uses the word “minimalism.” To the contrary, De Smet says, “We aren’t going for minimalism. The goal is to overlap cleanliness and intentionality.”

So, what exactly is the design vocabulary Studio Bronco aims to achieve? The “new West” honors its heritage, captures a spirit of “rugged elegance” (a phrase the duo often used), and combines contemporary craftsmanship with sustainable innovation. The studio’s pieces embrace raw materials with imperfections, and of course, utilize leather elements. All Studio Bronco’s pieces showcase “the beauty that arises when tradition meets modern forms.”

De Smet’s background is in decorative lighting and designing bespoke chandeliers, which was particularly evident when he quoted Louis Poulsen’s design mantra to “build something that outlasts yourself.” Rowan, who has a history in start-ups, specializes in branding and creative direction. Together, they formed an ideal partnership to shape Texas’ design vocabulary.

In the creative direction for Studio Bronco, Dieter Rams and his 10 commandments for good design also deeply influenced De Smet and Rowan, particularly the principle to “simplify until it’s obvious.”

Pieces from the collection will be released in small drops. Dallas stands out as the ideal city to launch Studio Bronco in because the community is rich (literally and figuratively) with design-minded collectors who already view furniture as sculptural works of art.

I can absolutely see Studio Bronco pieces in an Aman property. Great minds think alike, apparently, because De Smet echoed that Aman and their world of 36 luxury resorts spanning 20 countries would be a “dream client.” I can also see their debut dining chair in a luxury hospitality setting, a sprawling ranch, an art collector’s loft, or grounding the dining room of a mansion in the heart of Highland Park. Clearly, they simplified until it was obvious.