Newark’s Back Roads Rustics LLC combines traditional woodworking and refinishing with laser engraving to create custom pieces and restore worn antiques. Owner Jim Shaffer draws on years in construction, woodworking, and wood refinishing, giving each project the same careful attention whether it is a personalized gift or a century-old door. The shop’s work ranges from engraved goods to handcrafted furniture and antique repairs, with a stated aim to keep rustic items rustic.
Hearth WoodworksBorn from an independent woodworker’s love of the craft, Columbus-based Hearth Woodworks creates custom-designed, hand-crafted furniture and cabinetry for homes and businesses. The shop also restores family heirlooms and produces custom laser-etched signs and artwork, using 3-D design to shape projects from an initial conversation through installation. Its cabinetry is built without chipboard or paper and to NAAWS S 4.0 standards, while Hearth’s restoration work is supported by membership in the ITEL National Wood Restoration Network.COLUMBUS, OH
Cardinal WoodworkingFounded in 2015, Cardinal Woodworking turns reclaimed old-growth timber and family furniture into custom wood pieces, including heritage tables and other furniture made for a particular home. The craft grows from a family tradition: the owner learned woodworking, joinery and furniture building by watching a grandfather build boats and a father work in his garage shop. Cardinal’s specialty is giving damaged or outdated heirlooms a new, functional life while preserving the memories they carry.CINCINNATI, OH
Sherman & Gosweiler, IncSince 1976, Sherman & Gosweiler has crafted site-specific cabinetry, custom furniture, and architectural woodwork in the Philadelphia area, with a particular eye for exotic woods and sculptural detail. Founded by Lower Merion natives Chuck Sherman and Dick Gosweiler, the firm combines design training and old-world cabinetmaking experience in a 16,000-square-foot Bridgeport shop. Its work also includes in-house furniture restoration and refinishing, including the duplication of aged or antiqued finishes.BRIDGEPORT, PA
Upstate Crafts WoodworkingAt its Verona, New York shop, Upstate Crafts Woodworking turns locally sourced hardwoods and reclaimed timbers into one-of-a-kind custom furniture and small wood goods. Its work pairs raw Appalachian character with modern function, using traditional joinery and material-first design for pieces built to be repaired and refinished rather than replaced. The shop also hand-turns distinctive writing instruments from reclaimed bourbon and Scotch barrel wood.ROME, NY