Woodworker, artist, general contractor
"When in the shop, I'm always looking to blend form and function. I love making something so useable, that even if it looks too nice to use, you'll end up using it anyway. Life is too short to be making boring furniture."
"My father demonstrated to me how to teach myself. He would tackle any project, never wanted to do something twice, and rarely gave up.
To him I owe my love of building."
Since as long as he can remember, Jonathan gravitated towards making things. At 6, he and his dad overhauled his bicycle. By 10 he had his own saws. Throughout his youth he wired his parents new basement, did motor swaps on vintage BMWs, and built custom bikes in Germany. Through the years he's made things out of wood, metal, plastic, fabric, and dabbled in leather and electrical components.
"But as a kid, people discouraged me away from being a professional woodworker. This turned out to be just fine, though." Instead of diving straight and early into a career, Jonathan pursued other things such as travelling, got a BA in Strategic Communications, and went back several times to bikeshop management in California, New Zealand, and Kansas. His love for all manner of styles, from Sam Maloof to Japanese Shoji, is definitely a result of so much travel.
"I'm glad for all those adventures, yet am grateful for being able to return to my roots, and create full-time."
Jonathan officially started his carpentry career in New Zealand, when asked to completely gut and renovate a friend's house. While in NZ he was inspired to pursue finish projects, particularly detail-orientated woodworking as it pertains to remodeling. So when he and his wife Tanya relocated to the US in 2017, Jonathan continued developing his skills as a finish carpenter, cabinet maker, and restorer.