Why handcrafted?
Handcrafted, custom furniture and cabinetry is specifically designed and
built, by hand, for you and no one else. It can’t be bought off the floor of a
furniture showroom or out of a catalog. It’s one-of-a-kind and must meet your
requirements, look and feel the way you want, and generally make you proud to own.
I build one project at a time, slowly and with a constant eye for
detail. I build to your specifications with prime American hardwoods and top-grade,
veneered plywood with matched grain patterns. I join wood the old-fashioned way with
mortise and tenons, dovetails, dado and rabbet joints to ensure fit, strength and
durability. I stain and finish your project by hand, with custom colors and varnishes, to
a look and feel that says quality.
Large manufacturers and small woodworking shops like mine use power tools. But
that’s where the similarity ends. They fabricate for the mass market, in standard and
traditional styles, using, at best, lower-grade hardwoods with sprayed-on finishes or, at
worst, particle board covered with thin veneer. They employ semi-skilled, low-paid
workers, who essentially do piece work on an assembly-line process.
Why custom?
Most people come to me after they’ve been shopping for a
while and can’t find anything that fits their needs or that they truly like.
They’re often referred by existing customers. Usually they have a budget figure in
mind as a result of shopping around. Normally it’s too low for custom woodworking.
Simply put, most ready-made furniture and cabinetry passes through middlemen before you
buy it. A small percentage of the price you pay is for materials and labor. Markup is a
major portion of your cost. In short you’re not getting very good value for your
money.
Purchasing genuine, handcrafted antique furniture or commissioning me to do custom work
is smarter. Why? Because you’re getting full value. You’re paying only for
top-grade materials and expert design and craftsmanship, not for middlemen who add no real
value to the piece.
