The Barn Boy Manifesto
What I Do
It’s simple, and it’s meant to be simple: I make furniture and folk art out of old wood.
Nothing fancy. Nothing fragile. Just good, honest, no-nonsense stuff that will serve its purpose and look good doing it.
What I Use
I'm a perfectionist. But I’m working with imperfect materials. Reclaimed wood is often warped, curled, banged up and weathered…
it’s not perfect
it’s not supposed to be
The boards I use are authentic. They're naturally flawed. And they're beautiful.
How I Do It
It starts with finding old boards, and hauling them back to my shop. Then I clean, treat, cut, hammer, glue, sand, paint and varnish them.
If you're trying to create something meaningful, there are no shortcuts to quality. For me, doing it right really is its own reward. Look closely at the stuff I build:
the love is in the details
Why I Do It
I had grown-up jobs when I was younger, but I seldom felt like I was doing anything that really mattered. Finding a pursuit that yields tangible results continues to reward me with that rare, fleeting feeling of genuine satisfaction.
And, as any artisan or craftsman will tell you, there is some tiny glory you feel inside when you create something that someone truly loves.
Why Reclaimed Wood
The answer is obvious, and not so obvious. Yes, building furniture from salvaged wood is eco-friendly, and green, and sustainable.
old wood is good wood
But there’s more to it than that. I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and I’ve built over 600 custom pieces of furniture. Yet I still find that taking something obsolete (boards that were once someone’s farmhouse or barn) and transforming them into something useful and beautiful – it still holds a little bit of genuine magic for me.
Where the Boards Come From
Though I’ve salvaged boards from all over California, most of the wood I find today comes from close to home. The Central Coast has been farming and ranching country for generations, and there are still plenty of hidden, dilapidated barns and farmhouses that have outlived their usefulness in one form and are ready to take on another.
every piece of wood is different
and every piece of wood has a story behind it
Why Custom
Everything I build is custom. And every piece is absolutely unique. I love the challenge of creating things that are one of a kind: the perfect piece, the perfect fit, and the perfect finish.
Why it Matters
There is more and more artifice and artificiality all around us. I prefer authenticity. That’s why I build what I build.
I know it sounds presumptuous, but because it's built with salvaged wood, because it's built to last for generations, and because it's built with love – and to love – I think the stuff I make is about as soulful as furniture gets.
Built to love. Built to last.