Up to his waist in sawdust since childhood, native Mainer (Bangor) Brian Spatafora's father was a woodworker and besides that a neighbor had a wood shop. Crisply avoiding bragging about the quality of his work, Brian has in fact worked on diverse projects ranging from the cupola of a church graveyard building, to handmade inlaid fireplace mantles and unique individually designed pieces of furniture...Great Woods it is not just about cabinetry.
An expert eye for finding and selecting specialty hardwoods, Brian has the contacts and the knowledge of woods for each project depending on the requirements of the individual. It is true that many once rare woods are nearly impossible to locate today – but once that wood is found, the result is a heirloom keepsake, or a dazzling room that adds value to your property.
In Washington, ME an old church was given new life in a log home by using the reclaimed antique lumber (southern yellow pine) to build a modern kitchen using the old world woodworking standards of planing the wood, as opposed to sanding to finish. Rustic reclaimed ancient lumber from old barns and churches is a choice Brian often makes since this lumber has a feel and history not found in modern lumber, as well as in some cases the wood itself just cannot be located period.
Planing Wood instead of Sanding
No small effort required to plane wood, it is an art form that dates to a time before metal implements were found, but became a refined art after metal was usable in tools. The end result of this effort is a spectacularly beautifully silky finish that is far more natural than what would be possible if the same pieces had been sanded. These old traditional skillsets have been passed down from the finest and most particular of woodsmiths throughout time.
Besides the perfectly finished surfaces of all Great Woods work, inspect the quality of the joints and the detailed dovetails found in this cabinetry: you cannot find better built pieces in today's mass manufactured marketplace. Custom handmade cabinetry in truth – is a rarity today. Look into the processes of other cabinet shops and you will find that much is pre-manufactured.
For each cabinet designed you will find:
• ¾ full box construction
• ½ inch back
• dovetail drawers
• mortice and tendon doors and construction
• full extension, soft-close drawers which “glide” closed silently
• hand-finish on all pieces with selection to fit the type of wood used
Besides woodworking, Brian is also a good amateur photographer, has a background in cartography at a utilities company, and a history of work in the architectural and design engineering fields (including CAD design). Previously he has done restoration work on numerous historical buildings in Bangor, adding the backdrop to the quality work done today, providing detail to the artistry of the work from great Woods.
2009 Great Woods will be venturing into creating art furniture and unique hand made wooden pieces designed to make finite use of space within the home. Pieces are individually designed to enhance your décor and style of living – including possibly the creation of replicas of already existing antiques and artifacts. Photos of the newest offerings will be shown on this site and on the Flickr page soon.
