Virginia Blanchard grew up in Pelham, New York. After earning her B.A. in Russian from New York University, she went to study furniture making at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine. In 2012, she made the move from New York to the Mid-Coast region of Maine. Time not spent designing and building furniture from her Rockland workshop is devoted to restoring her 1840's ship captain's home and keeping the dogs happy. Her aesthetic derives primarily from her love of early 20th century European decorative arts.