Being on the front lines of finishing design and building production has garnered me much knowledge.  I have been to many shops, on many woodlots and cabinetry production sites.  I care very much for this industry and I truly believe that the crafting of well made furniture and cabinetry is an ART in its many different forms.... from the least to most complex, in its lines and presentation.

I love to see the process of finishing and watching a good finisher make a creation on their pallet…Wood.  (This is why) A GOOD finisher is hard to come by.  Finishing is an art that has to be learned through years of experience.  Sure, the basics can be taught, but the layering and building of colour, usually in multiple steps takes “Front Line Learning.”

The species of wood, where it is sourced from and how it is milled is much like cloud watching or sitting staring into a fire, in that the designs that nature provides in wood give us that “comfort zone”, feel good feeling.  There can even be a difference between the wood sourced from the centre of the tree and the wood harvested just when it has begun to “spalt”.  This distinguishes it from the way it was once harvested and used for furniture and cabinetry.  Many people today are asking for this character. We can take maple as the best example.  Now it seems to be the wood of choice as there are so many variations.  Builders now offer many grades that provide for a unique and different look.  It’s an ongoing learning experience.  This “character” can be sourced in other species as well.  Ask The Professor.  As a young person once told me: “Knowledge (or knowing) is everything”.

Any questions and inquiries are always welcome.  As an illustrational anecdote, when I first started my flower garden, I felt intimidated by the many different species.  My then mother in law told me to just plant and see what happens.  And it was love at first bloom!  Wood and cabinetry are much the same for me, and I hope that it can be for you too.  You do not have to be a wood worker.  You just need the desire to understand, OR to be able to see the creation and admire it for what it is.