About Us

WOOD

One hundred years ago the wood of choice for Arts & Crafts furniture was quartersawn white oak. Red oak, black cherry, mahogany, walnut and hard maple were also sometimes used. However, there are other fine woods! Indeed, an idea central to the Arts and Crafts aesthetic was that an artisan use materials commonly found in his or her environment. On this coast, for example, native hardwoods such as Arbutus (Madrone), Bigleaf Maple, Red Alder, Bitter Cherry, and Garry Oak (Oregon Oak) offer exciting options. I am also encouraged by the interest more woodworkers have begun to take in the long-discounted softwoods. I count myself among them. On this coast these woods include Red and Yellow Cedar, Western Yew, and Douglas Fir. For some time now I have enjoyed working with recycled, old growth Douglas Fir.

For nearly two centuries this wood has been exploited heavily for use in shipbuilding and general construction. Many Arts & Crafts style homes were built with Douglas Fir. A lot of older homes have this wood not only in all structural areas (floor, wall and roof framing) but also underfoot as finish flooring; as baseboard; fireplace surrounds and mantels; head and side casings around doors and windows; wainscots and wall paneling, and; in kitchens as cabinets. In most cases where it has been put to finish use it has been painted or stained. Stripped of these coatings this wood is a jewel. It is a moderately hard (amongst the hardest of the softwoods) but very strong wood, possesses a lovely warm natural orange/amber colour and, when quartersawn, has a very pleasing tight grain. Working Douglas Fir presents interesting challenges but, with careful attention, yields wonderful results.

JOINERY AND FINISHES

The predominant method of connecting or joining wood joints used in authentic Arts and Crafts furniture is the mortise and tenon. This is the joint I use. Wherever possible I use the same joinery technique in my lighting work and frames. Done with care and attention it is exceptionally strong, and when emphasized with through tenons and pegs or dowels the completed joint is a statement both of utility and beauty. In pegged work the pegs are sometimes raised or "proud", gently crowned, or cut with facets. Similarly, those pieces with through-tenons are sometimes left with slightly rounded edges, or with cut facets.

I very much like to leave wood alone! That is, I am not inclined to change a particular wood's natural look and colour. Likewise, I use finishing products that are as natural as possible. I work mainly with natural tung oil, a very high quality polymerized tung oil, and a very high quality polymerized linseed oil. Over the years I have done a lot of wood- refinishing (both inside and out), and most of that work required using some very unfriendly products both to remove the original finish and to refinish. More and more therefore I strive to use finishing products that contain a predominance of natural ingredients.