Fine Craftsmanship… naturally
Heirloom Furniture & Design
“The understanding eye sees the maker's fingerprints. They are evident in every detail . . . Leave fingerprints”
-James Krenov
meet your maker
I am a father, husband, small homesteader and maker based in Portland Oregon metro area, and i’ve been crafting raw materials into functional works of art for the better portion of my life. Being a fifth generation woodworker I pull inspiration from traditional techniques, but with a modern approach to accomplish my vision and bring it to life.
My professional background was in the movie industry where I built props and sets which brought me to the Pacific Northwest to work for a stop motion animation studio prior to starting Karp Woodworks.
At Karp Woodworks, the philosophy is to create a piece that will spark conversation. Not only beautiful to look at but made with top tier craftsmanship that will live through generations.
Karp Woodworks creates furniture, commercial installations and custom cabinetry that is made by hand and executed with fine percision.
When working with interior designers or clients directly, building strong bonds is a key element. It is believed here that great design comes from great partnerships, where our creativity through collaboration join to produce high quality functional works of art.
vision through design
My grandfather was a huge inspiration on my vision through design. Though I was very young when he passed away, his work still lives on. He was a master canoe builder, carver and all around incredible maker. He took a very Krenovian approach to wood working, he let the wood tell him what it wanted to be and used the figure in the wood to create an elevated piece. The grain structure, knots, curl, swirl and spalt have so much natural movement and motion. I use those key elements when laying out my design.
plywood collection
As a prop maker and set builder in the movie industry I learned a lot of things, one thing I learned is how much trash a small studio in the Portland area who claims to be environmentally friendly contributes to the landfill. Here is some art made from their “trash”.
