Cold To Cozy
The artistic philosophy of industrial-grade nature
Most modern spaces—especially in a fast-growing city like Nashville—can feel a bit cold or "cookie-cutter". White walls, hard angles, and box buildings are highly efficient to build, but they aren't always inspiring environments to spend your time in.
What I do at Well Lit Woods is bridge that gap by embracing an intentional contrast. I use a cold, rigid industrial machine to capture the warm, fluid shapes of the wild.
My lighting and decor line relies entirely on Structural Honesty. Every piece begins as a flat sheet of birch architectural metal before undergoing a transition into a three-dimensional form. I completely reject shortcuts like wood glue, screws, or staples; everything snaps together purely through geometric precision. When you turn on a Well Lit Woods light, the hidden source diffuses through these interlocking geometric planes, casting soft shadows that turn an anonymous room into a warm, welcoming sanctuary.
Warm light, made right.
From Design To Build
Your vision professionally made
Every creative business eventually hits a wall where manual fabrication slows down growth. That is where Well Lit Manufacturing comes in.
I approach contract manufacturing from a unique dual perspective: as both a classically trained designer and an experienced manufacturer. Having spent a decade in industrial environments as a CNC machinist, assembly technician, floor manager, and continuous improvement expert, I don't just blindly operate a machine. I look at your project through the lens of a builder who understands workflows, material limitations, and structural tolerances.
Operating a 54”x36” high-power laser system, I provide premium B2B custom fabrication for local small businesses, designers, makers, and hobbyists. Because I understand the journey from a rough concept to a finished part, I speak your language—whether you have polished vector files or need design consultations to engineer your idea into reality. You bring the creative vision; I provide the clean lines, exact cuts, and manufacturing expertise to make it real.
The Maker
Behind the laser
David Guido is the designer and maker behind Well Lit Woods, a Nashville studio specializing in functional art.
After completing a degree in Industrial Design from Arizona State, David went straight into high-precision manufacturing. Slowly but surely, after a decade in the industry, he found himself scribbling art concepts in the margins of his work notebooks, realizing he could no longer ignore his creative instincts. With the support of friends and family, he jumped into the deep end and started Well Lit Woods in late 2024. Today, his studio smells faintly of campfire, lit by the warm glow of experimental lamps hanging above an 1800-pound laser cutter.
When he isn't in his own workshop, David works as the Director of the Digital Fabrication Lab at The Forge Nashville and volunteers on the board of Tennessee Craft. He uses his manufacturing roots to enable others' creativity, fostering a more mindful connection between art, manufacturing, and the spaces we inhabit.
