I build slow on purpose.
A piece of furniture should outlast the person who paid for it. That takes time. I'd rather take longer and get it right than rush and have to redo it.
Twelve years of work I'm proud of.
I'm a one-person shop in Lyndonville, Vermont. I've been building custom furniture and restoring heirloom pieces since 2014, working mostly in hardwoods sourced within driving distance of the shop.
Before this, I worked for someone else's shop for a long time. The work was fine. But I wanted to take the time a piece needed, visit the home it was going into, and put my name on every joint. So I went out on my own.
Most projects start with a conversation and a home visit. I want to see where the piece is going before I quote it.
The shop
The shop is in Lyndonville, in a building I rebuilt over a couple of summers. Hand tools on the wall, a few machines for the rough work, a bench I built first because every shop needs a good one.
Most of the wood comes from within an hour of here. Cherry from a friend in Danville, maple from a small mill in St. Johnsbury, walnut when I can find it locally. If a project needs something I can't source nearby, I'll tell you up front.
How I work
Every piece gets a home visit.
I want to see the room, the light, and how the family actually lives. I don't quote a piece until I've stood in the space it's going into.
If it's not right, I rebuild it.
I've never delivered a piece I wasn't proud of, and I'm not going to start.
“My grandmother's secretary desk was almost unusable. They restored it without erasing what made it hers. I cried a little when I picked it up.”
