Journey to Furniture-Making
My journey into woodcraft has been an involving one. After 35 years in the corporate world, I wanted to take a different path - one where I could design and create things with my hands. At first, building Kayaks and Canoes were my passion. I studied the boat building at the Wooden Boat School under Greg Rossel. The designs of Nick Shade were very appealing to me, and I used these as starting points for my canoes and kayaks.
How it Started
My interest soon expanded to furniture making, where I was fortunate enough to have studied at the North Bennet Street School under Jamie Pope. Furniture Design, for me, is about clean, straight lines, minimalist in nature, and accentuating the grain of the wood. The styles which form the basis for my work are shaker (clean lines, tapered legs, and minimalist design), mission (simple horizontal and vertical lines and flat panels to accentuate the grain of the wood), rustic (rough, natural, aged, and casual), and country (primitive pieces with straight lines, muted colors, and milk painted finishes).
Bringing Out the Beauty of Wood
One of my design features is for those smaller or tight areas with practical, functional furniture that appeals to the eye. I use reclaimed wood — bringing out its hidden beauty. But also build custom work from hardwood such as Black Walnut, Cherry, Mahogany, Hard Maple, etc.