While travelling through Asia, I picked up many handmade items, some of these were yak wool blankets from Nepal. Once I returned home, I got so many requests about the yak wool shawls I began to develop relationships with some Nepalese textile sellers. Many of them were small business owners themselves, and I wanted to help them expand their reach internationally. I began importing these hand crafted blankets from local artists and sold them across Ontario. Over the years this expanded to merino wool shawls from India, alpaca blankets from Peru and more.

The response was amazing! Many asked, “Did you make these?” I loved telling my story of travel and the stories of these talented artists around the world. Working together, we had grown their businesses and brought warmth to those in Canada. But this question always made me think, ‘what could I make?’

While the demand for beautiful, warm, handcrafted blankets was steadily increasing, my parents were on the look for a rustic headboard for their cottage. This was my chance, I could make my own piece of work with my own hands.

I have always been very much into old school fine furniture, but these pieces were very intimidating to say the least. The rustic themed furniture seemed more my speed as a beginner. And so with nothing but a chop saw and a drill, I set out to find some barn wood. I met with a few local guys and eventually had a small pile to begin making a headboard. After about a day of work, it was complete. To my surprise people loved it and were soon asking for their own. I began making one or two here and there and then about a handful a month.

Queen Headboards quickly turned into King headboards, which became complete bedroom sets, benches and more. Before I knew it my schedule was jam packed with commissions for custom furniture. With each new commission, YouTube became my greatest ally. I was soaking up every bit of information I could about the furniture making world in relation to the newest pieces I had taken on.

With each new build, my skills grew and my confidence in what I could do grew as well. With this I began taking courses at a local college for cabinet making to expand on the skills I had learned from the internet. This has helped me become faster, more efficient, and more refined in the entire process.

I am still learning with each new project, and am still very much in the early stages of my career; but I am no longer intimidated by the challenge of a 10 foot dining table! I welcome new and exciting projects and hope to one day tackle a very “fine” piece of furniture. Furniture making has shown me that anything is possible if you have enough research, support from family and friends, and most importantly, blind stubbornness to push forward with each and every build.

I am looking forward to the future of my little custom furniture business and what it will bring to my family. Read a more in depth story on how we have gotten to where we are as well as where we want to be heading with the business in the future here.