We make many types of custom furniture (Mission, Lodge, Rustic, Art Nouveau, etc.) and cabinets. Choosing
whether to use solid wood or engineered materials (such as plywood or medium
density fiber-board a.k.a MDF) is a high consideration on our list. Designing
and pricing a piece will direct the material criteria for that piece.
Let me explain a little more about this...
Even though a tree is cut down and kiln-dried, it isn't dead. Wood is always
reacting to its environment. As temperatures & humidity change from day to
day and season to season, solid woods expand and contract by up to 1/8"
per foot of width! This adds up and must be considered in the design and
construction process when solid woods are used. The movement of the length of a
board is almost negligible and not of much concern. Therefore, solid woods may or may not be the right choice for the piece we will build.
It is critical that the right materials be chosen for each project and great
care goes into also considering what to use when the
 project will be built in
Montana and shipped to another location. There are no bad materials, just poor
application. As the design process begins for a project, the function of the
piece (i.e. table, wall unit, etc.), the location of where the piece will be,
and the color of the piece are all contributing to what materials are used. We also look at whether the project involves shaping, carving,
bending, veneering or laminating. We know that cost can play a major role
in your decision and as solid wood is more expensive than engineered materials
we will recommend when to use the alternatives (for example, cherry-veneered
plywood for shelving inside a cabinet).
As experienced wood-workers, we choose the right methods of joinery and
functional hardware to assemble the project. The piece will become a family heirloom as long as the materials and
craftsmanship are excellent. No matter what the style, we consider all of our creations art.
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