I love to make. I’m happiest when my hands and mind are busy learning something new.
When I worked on tools at Canadian Tire, I knew I couldn’t match the decades of construction experience some buyers brought to the table. Instead, I carved out my own niche by leaning into my passion for woodworking, by taking classes and building projects in my small 52-square-foot shop.
The credibility I built allowed me to go head to head when debating the shape of the grip on a drill or the features of a table saw.
Over the years, my curiosity has led me into bonsai, model making, and wood carving. This constant practice of hands-on learning directly fuels my design career, helping me see products not only as concepts, but as tools people will use, build with, and enjoy every day.
Despite my shop’s small size, it is filled with hand tools and a workbench that allows me to create almost anything I can imagine. The space constraints mean I have to think creatively about how I am going to make each cut, joint, and assembly. That being said, I would love a table saw.
I was 13 years old when I made my first money bank. I can track back to his project as the beginning of my love of making. Nearly 20 years later, I made one for my daughter, and all my nieces and nephews.
If the right tool doesn’t exist, I make it. There are some great shop projects that all woodworkers make, like my mallets.
There are also some specialty tools that aren’t available for sale, but make a big difference in my work flow like my kerfing plane, which makes resawing lumber much faster and more accurate. A few quick passes with my chamfer plane is much faster than pulling out my router and setting up a bit.
The lamp is a combination of a couple of my hobbies, the walnut frame with its mortise and tendons and lap joints is complimented by a parchment origami shade. For simplicity, the light is turned on with a discrete capacitive touch button.
Wood carving is probably my second slowest hobby. The time it takes is almost meditative. It can’t be rushed. There are no shortcuts when hand carving. Each project taking well over 50 hours to complete.