Custom woodworking can bring warmth and life into your project, whether for the home or high-tech …
You need a cabinet to highlight a family heirloom. You’re looking for a one-of-a-kind gift for your special someone. Or you’re simply tired of spending money on flimsy furniture that doesn’t last. Our traditional woodworking combines a minimalist aesthetic that complements any decor with superior materials, construction, and finish.
Ever wonder why modern furniture doesn’t survive more than a move-or-two? It’s the material. Solid wood is stronger and lighter than any of the materials in mass-produced objects. Better looking, too.
Nails and threaded fasteners gradually work loose over time, leaving irreparable damage. Solid wood construction — mortise & tenon joints, dovetails — is stronger, aesthetically more pleasing, and can last multiple lifetimes.
All of our woodworking features solid wood construction throughout. We work with a range of domestic United States and foreign hardwood species, all sustainably grown and harvested.
Lifetime objects that look better and are created from a renewable resource? That’s real sustainability.
The majority of our work is created using traditional techniques and hand-powered tools. But we don’t work this way for the romance or to relive the past.
Rather, we find that these highly-evolved forms are more efficient for one-of-a-kind and custom projects, and bring a satisfying, human touch to our work: curves are more fluid, subtle imperfections give each project life, and every piece is unique.
We prefer to keep dangerous chemicals out of our lives and yours … and we choose my finishes accordingly.
For example, one of our favorite wood finishes is shellac, a natural material made from the resinous secretions of lac insects living in forests in Southeast Asia. Shellac is a remarkably versatile finish, and completely nontoxic, even when ingested — in fact, you’ve probably eaten some yourself — shellac is commonly used as the coating on medicine capsules!
We mix our own shellac, dissolving the raw flakes in 190-proof ethanol. Old-timers probably wouldn’t like to see good booze used in this way, but it makes for great peace-of-mind to know that our work is food-grade.
