Our Craftsman Story

Custom Kitchen Island Specialty Shop

Wood You Build It brings craftsmanship to the next level. It’s not just the quality behind the projects, it’s the full package.

Wood cabinet — The Very First Unit Ever Built

How it all began

I love telling the story of how it all began because even if it inspires one other person to fulfill their dreams then it’ll be a sense of accomplishment. Back in 2011, my wife Kate had just given birth to my daughter. At the time, we were hanging a plastic bag on the back of the kitchen door and that acted as our actual trash barrel. She had asked me to build something to hide the trash, knowing well that one day our daughter would be crawling and getting into the trash.

I had very little woodworking history but still managed to design a piece that I considered would fit the area we had to work with. I ended up salvaging old floor boards from the attic we were living in, and sanded the 60 years worth of aged soot off of the boards. There you have it, the very first trash bin. Fast-forward a couple of months…I came across an interview of the CEO of Etsy explaining what the Etsy website was and how it was geared towards handcrafted items. I decided to take a picture of the unit I had built. Within 2 hours, the unit was sold. This is where we insert “and the rest is history!”

Large Chair in Gardner, MA — Historical Chair in Gardner, MA

We are extremely grateful and blessed to have worked tirelessly to become one of Etsy’s largest accounts over the course of time.

What started out with a makeshift basement workshop, has now become an endeavor of over a dozen employees. We now manufacture out of a 25,000 sqft facility.

Through the years, there have been many ups and downs. The passion of our hardworking crew, and also support from our community is something that never goes unnoticed. We have dedicated so much time and effort since 2012 to help bring furniture and woodworking awareness back to the city of Gardner, MA; which at one time was considered the furniture capital of the world.

“Wood You Build It is trying to bring the notation of handcrafted, heirloom furniture back to the City of Gardner, MA for which it belongs, one home at a time.”