MATERIALS & SOURCING
Primarily, I use solid hardwoods and veneered plywood for both their durability and their beauty. Often, I'm able to utilize wood which was grown locally, here in the Willamette Valley. These include broad-leafed maple, white oak, chinquapin, western cherry, ash, alder, and walnut. But I work with my customers to meet their ideals, and this has resulted in the use of a wide range of materials.
For example:
In short, I'm willing to work with recycled and salvaged materials, or new materials. The specific job seems to dictate what it's made of.
For example:
- Redwood milled from the salvaged barrel staves of huge wine vats was used to make 7 doors and 53 windows for a renovated farmhouse.
- Branches and slabs with highly figured grain and live edges, used for the cookbook shelves and countertop backsplashes, lend an organic, artistic feel to the kitchen of a straw-bale and plaster house.
- In another house, old, sturdy timbers, taken out from the framing during its remodel, were resurfaced and used to build a wrap-around bench in the foyer.
- I hunted for weathered and sea-worn boards on the ocean beaches to build a cabinet for a piece being created by a stained glass artist.
- Sometimes a customer will request that I use certified hardwoods (sustainably harvested).
In short, I'm willing to work with recycled and salvaged materials, or new materials. The specific job seems to dictate what it's made of.