Busy Times...

While COVID has given some big challenges in the last year, it has been an incredibly busy time. With people spending more time at home, it seems there is more thought being put into their surroundings. Lots of custom and wholesale orders have been coming through the shop, so many that I’ve had little time to photograph or post about them here!

Above is a sketch of a dining room table I’m designing right now for a custom order. So far we’ve had several minor tweaks as we get closer to what the client would like while still being possible structurally.

If you are looking to upgrade some of your furniture, send me a message through my contact form and we can get started today.

Custom Walnut Bed Frame

I was fortunate enough to receive a Queen size bed commission this year. They said they liked my style and left it up to me to come up with a design. The bed above is the result of this commission. Made from solid walnut, it’s a mid century inspired bed with brass pegs holding the headboard slats in place. The entire bed can come apart for easy transportation.

I designed this bed primarily in Fusion 360, and many of the components were CNC cut for absolute precision. The finish is a zero VOC oil called Osmo. Photograph by the very talented David Irvine.

Flat Pack Custom Work

Last summer I sent a few end tables to a customer in Minnesota. She liked the design of the Modern Milkman stool but wanted a square top, which of course meant 4 legs instead of 3. I finished the tables and shipped them to the customer. Shipping is a big issue as many of my orders go to the USA, and shipping charges are a combination of weight and volume. I’ve generally stuck to smaller furniture commissions as the shipping price for larger items can be astronomical.

Walnut flat pack bench

My customer from last summer contacted me shortly after Christmas asking if I could design a console table as well as a bench from walnut. I told them I could, but due to the volume of the pieces, the shipping charges might be outrageous. They replied “couldn’t you ship it with the legs detached?”. This is in fact something I’ve been wanting to do for several years. I had a few prototypes that I had made but had run out of time and never perfected. I decided I’d take on the challenge, as this would also allow me to use an idea I’ve had for a while to reduce the amount of wood being used in my pieces. Wood is quite expensive, and while it does “grow on trees” there isn’t an infinite supply and I’m always keen to reduce how much I’m consuming.

Flat Pack

So above we see my solution. The tops are made from two pieces of walnut laminated together, but before I do this, the legs are cut from the bottom piece. The tops are still very strong, yet quite a bit of wood is saved. The legs attach with allen key bolts and since they are going into a deep mortise, they are very strong. This method not only saves material, but also reduces the weight, and the volume of the shipment. It may not seem like a big deal, but shipping this bench assembled vs. flat pack is $250 vs. $85!

Custom Walnut Bench

I’m looking forward to exploring this design further in the future, if you’re interested in a custom order send me a message via my contact page.

Rolling Pins...

I’m still recovering a bit from the great Rolling Pin extravaganza that was the holiday season of 2018. Around mid-November sales of these rolling pins (more so the walnut version) started to climb, and climb, and climb. I was completely blown away by how many orders I received in just under 3 weeks. Daily trips to the post office with multiple pins, it was all fantastic, but at the same time, it got a bit tiring making them.

Now that we are past the holidays and well into 2019, sales have returned back to normal (which is fine!), but I’ll know for next year to get a bit of a stock pile ahead of time.

Modern Milkman Hits 50

Since designing the Modern Milkman stool just over a year ago, I've had great success selling this little stool all over North America and even in the UK.  It's easily shippable and it's minimalist design fits in any modern home.

The stool above is the 50th stool I've made, and to celebrate all stools (counter height included) on my Etsy Shop are 10% off for the next month.  Grab one now at a great price.

Custom Design

I recently was asked for a custom design through my Etsy Shop .  They liked my Modern Milkman Stool but needed an end table, so slightly taller and square instead of round.  We emailed back and forth a few times before coming up with this design.  It uses a stretched version of the Modern Milkman legs, and features a solid walnut top.  It's already been boxed up and sent via Canada Post to Minnesota.  

Looking for some custom furniture?  Send me a message via the Contact page and we can get started.

Counter Height Stools

After much success last year with the introduction of my Modern Milkman stools, I had many requests for a taller counter height version.  The Modern Milkman is a three legged stool, and unfortunately making taller stools wasn't as simple as just extending the legs.  After much testing, it was decided to go with a 4 legged stool and a slightly larger seat.  Finally to add some rigidity to the legs as well as a place to rest your feet, a jig was developed to attach the foot rest in the front.

Currently available in walnut and maple on my Etsy page, a version with a walnut top and ash legs is for sale at Makerhouse in Ottawa, Ontario.

Ottawa Magazine

Well, fantastic news....  My recent coffee table commission for the Governor General was featured in Ottawa Magazine.  The article featured several talented local makers and designers from the National Capital Region.  I'm thrilled to be in the magazine once again and so excited about how well received my mid century inspired walnut coffee table has been received.

Coffee Table Commission

This past November I was commissioned by the "official residences of the Canadian Government" to create a mid-century inspired coffee table made from locally sourced Walnut.  The table features an open shelf and a floating top.  

While the table is part of the "official collection", meaning it can be moved to any of the Government residences, it currently resides in the new Governor General's living quarters.  This table is an interesting mix of new and old technology.  While hand planes and spoke shaves were used to shape parts of this table, the top was flattened by a CNC machine ensuring an absolutely perfect surface.  This blend of old and new technology is a testament to how I work, taking the best of both worlds, and using the best tool for the job.

2018 will see more of a focus on furniture for Craft Collective.  In the coming weeks I plan to have completed a counter height stool to add to the Modern Milkman Stool which has sold so well in 2017.  I've had many requests for a taller version and you won't have to wait much longer.

Media Coverage

My Modern Milkman stool was featured in the November issue of Les Idees de ma Maison, a Quebec home decor magazine.  So nice to be recognized by a well curated magazine alongside some other great Canadian talent.

Fall

Fall is here and we're gearing up for the holiday season already.  A few new products will be hitting the Etsy Store in the coming weeks, and we're making more of your old favourites as well. If you want to keep up on new products, and get some promo codes, sign up for the Craft Collective Newsletter on the home page, next edition coming out in mid October so don't delay!

New Photo Setup

It's become apparent that my photo setup just isn't up to snuff for some of my latest projects.  I've been able to get by with a makeshift setup for many of my smaller items, but when I made a coffee table this spring I realized I had nowhere to photograph it.  I took it to a local studio to have them take the pictures, and while I'm happy with how they came out, it's something I'm capable of doing.

So I've just received a three light setup with a backdrop (white and black).  It was a fairly cheap set but I've set it up permanently in a corner of my basement so I'm not so worried about the durability of it.  The LED lights seem very bright and should help me step up my pictures of some of my new items like the Modern Milkman Stool.

Mkrsmrkt 2017

Another successful Mkrsmrkt this year in Burlington, Ontario.  I've gradually been scaling down my show participation, but I still love coming to Burlington every July for this truly great evening. Fritzy the Bus returned again this year, and while it's running as smooth as ever, the intermittent gas gauge is a bit worrisome sometimes.  Our 1974 Campervan has become a regular sight at this market, and it means that I can bring along my daughter and make a summer holiday out of it.

Looking forward to next year's event!