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Being a self taught designer and craftsman I'm not locked into any one
particular style. I'm strongly influenced by old world craftsmanship and
Japanese Joinery. I believe it is important to keep my work honest, you
should be able to see how it all works; the joinery and the natural beauty
of the wood are an integral part of the design aesthetic. I'm not big on
staining or tinting, I prefer to select the boards for each project based on
the grain and color subtleties believing it is more exciting to watch a
piece mellow with age revealing a kind of poetry as the wood matures right
before your eyes. Having said that I'm not at all offended by working within
a budget; less costly materials and coloring are always an option.
My favorite pieces are modern in concept and design but constructed with
exposed traditional joinery such as butterfly mortises, through tennons,
wedge tennons, dovetail keys pegs or pins. However, there are times when I
use a mechanical fastener, but use a piece of end grain to simulate a
through tennon. I do this in situations where, over time, a lag bolt will
out perform a traditional wood joint (My work is built to last and will be
around for hundreds of years).
There have been times when I have to be creative about fixing an
unavoidable problem with the wood such as when a void becomes visible after
the milling process requiring a Dutchman patch. Oftentimes these "fixes"
become the client's favorite aspect of the piece. That and the inconspicuous
tool mark here-and-there are indications of a truly hand made piece of
heirloom quality furniture.
I not only make furniture of my own unique design, I also reproduce rare
pieces of craftsman furniture from makers such as Charles Rohlfs and
Stickley (or any other maker from the era). I can also rework those original
classic pieces to suit more modern taste and needs. Or, maybe you're not
partial to Quarter sawn Oak but love American Walnut; I can easily reproduce
a classic design in Walnut or Mahogany or Cherry or any combination of woods
available.
My goal is to continue to do what I love and bring joy to my clients so it
is important for me to not be the kind of designer that will push you into a
project because it's what I want to do. What I want is to make you happy.
There is no better feeling than a client telling me - even years later - how
happy they still are with the piece I created for them. I sleep well at
night.
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