Specialty Woodwork and Refinishing

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Most often, people are looking for a large-scale custom installation to fit into a particular space in their home. This usually involves a combination of shelving, cabinets, drawers and sometimes a desk or working surface.

Such installations are popular in the living room, serving to frame in a large screen television and stereo system with surrounding space for storage or to display pictures, art and knick-knacks. Also popular are "home office"-type installations, typically an entire wall with shelving, drawers and cabinets, sometimes incorporating a desk.

Second, I do a lot of refinishing jobs, particularly on furniture people have obtained second hand at resale shops, although sometimes architectural woodwork (doors, trim, etc) as well.

I wish more people would explore the world of custom, stand-alone furniture - but most people seem content with what they can find at furniture stores to meet those needs. Too bad, because hand-made furniture can really make a strong, beautiful statement in any room of the house.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I begin every project with a precise computer model of the furniture or piece I'm constructing. I work back-and-forth with my customers on the design and can show them exactly how the final piece will look with the computer model. This guarantees an excellent result -- the customer gets exactly what they expect, and the building process goes smoothly with less room for error or unexpected problems.

This may be common practice for architects or interior designers, but this level of design precision and execution is uncommon with run-of-the-mill carpenters.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I appreciate the diversity custom woodworking provides. Every job is different and provides a new problem-solving challenge. Whether it's working in a new style, or solving tricky issues due to spacial constraints of an installation, there's something that requires me to think in different ways or alter my "usual practices" to meet a challenge.

Often, for refinishing jobs, or historical recreations, I have to do a lot of research into historical methods of a particular place and time. This allows for constant learning and gives me a deep appreciation for tradesmen of generations past. It ties my own work into a deep-rooted tradition and fills me a sense of purpose and spirit of both the past and the present.