What is The Wood Lab?

The Wood Lab is a collaboration between my father, Ken, and myself.

When my graduation from Purdue lined up with his retirement from corporate life, we saw an opportunity to create something of our own, with his fabrication skills and my design training.

I’ve worked with him at every step of the process to design within realistic constraints, taking into consideration our limited resources and shop space. In turn, his feedback and problem solving has taught me how to develop designs that are more fully considered and well-rounded.

Our Shop

Our shop space is the detached garage next to our house in Wallingford. It presents a number of challenges due to its size and shape, and as we expand our arsenal of tools, making space for everything is a continual problem.

The limitations presented by this shop are visible in our furniture - and intentionally so. The idea is that as our brand grows, as Ken’s fabrication abilities get refined, and as my design process improves, we’ll gradually grow into more advanced pieces that require specialty tooling.

Our #1 goal is to make beautiful and long-lasting furniture, and we already have what we need.

The Details

  • 310 square feet

Tool Features:

  • SawStop Cabinet Table Saw / Router Table

  • ShopFox 12” Vertical Band Saw

  • Grizzly Benchtop Drill Press

  • DeWalt 12” Miter Saw

  • DeWalt 12” Planer

  • DeWalt Hand Router

Our Philosophy

Longevity is at the core of everything we want to do. Our aim is to actively move away from the trend cycles that make the furniture industry look more and more like the fashion industry each year. A piece of furniture, especially something as static as a table or a cabinet, should easily last a decade or more.

As the designer, my goal is to design pieces that feel timeless. The designs shouldn't feel any trendier now than they will in 10 years. Additionally, surface wear and general use shouldn’t compromise the look of a piece. Every product will show wear over time, but longevity is in how it carries its wear. These pieces should be lived with, and shouldn’t require excessive special care or delicate handling.

Many elements of the coffee table’s design are intended to improve comfort when putting your feet up.