Each tree is one-of-a-kind, so is each piece of furniture.

The furniture designs attempt to preserve and collaborate with the graceful form of the tree, without betraying durability, function and comfort. They are designed to delight the eye with a natural balance and crafted to invite the touch of your hand.

I do not reshape the wood, so the dance between form and function is made more complex by the tree shapes— they have their own ideas.

Most of the trees are gathered within a mile of the shop, from our woodlands and that of our generous neighbors.

The furniture comes with bark on for a more rustic look, or peeled and scraped to a fine polish.

Ash and Red Maple are peeled right away and air dried. The bark of Beech, Sugar Maple, Hop Hornbeam is removed after drying.

The Birches keep their distinctive bark.

Using the natural shape of the tree presents unique challenges for mortise and tenon joinery.

Some joints are coped, some have a fluted shoulder. Joints are glued, and some are pinned with hardwood for insurance. Any screws are countersunk and plugged.

The maker is happy to say that much of the work is done with sharp handtools—spokeshaves, drawknives, planes and scrapers—avoiding much of the dust, danger, noise and energy consumption of conventional woodworking machines.

Wood is peeled, not milled. The finish is scraped, not sanded. I can work to the sound of music, from Bach to Rock!

Finished with 3 coats of pure tung oil and citrus solvent (orange peel oil), for a penetrating, non-glossy finish that lets the wood speak for itself.

It is actually a pleasure to use! And so natural, it is food contact safe. You can read about it HERE.

The purchase of furniture includes a jar of tung/citrus finish with notes on care.

Like any well-crafted hardwood furniture, these are meant for indoor use, or well-protected porches, and are built to outlive you, by generations.