Taylor Woodworks

Woodworking has been in my blood from an early age. When I was twelve, my parents let me put a sign on our maple tree stating "Woodcrafts For Sale." I enjoyed woodshop in high school and made more gun racks than my allotted wood allowance. My interest in reproduction furniture started on my honeymoon in Williamsburg, VA. I was taken by the Inns and the spectacular woods in the furniture. As a newlywed, I needed new furniture, and therefore had a reason to start trying to build my own. Sometimes my wife and I would buy antiques and refinish them but even then they did not work well, or were not styled the way that I wanted. This was when I started to make furniture for myself. The first pieces I made were a pair of shaker tables. From that experience I started the beginning of my work today. As far as my education in woodworking is concerned, I guess you could say I was my own best teacher. I have always been in pursuit of learning about and developing my craft. You could say it's my obsession. I use the internet and am constantly buying books and magazines to read. However, my favorite way to learn is to observe other professionals. I have researched some of the best shops and have made a number of contacts from which I could learn by asking the right questions and by simply observing. I have taken a few classes at the North Bennett Street School in Boston, MA and at the Old Cabinet Shop in York, PA. Not only do I learn new skills from these courses, but I am also inspired by the great woodworkers that I meet there. Presently, I own a small shop on a beautiful piece of property in Magnolia, Delaware where I will be building my home. My brother and I do our woodworking there. Although we enjoy other types of cabinetry such as kitchens, mantles, and built-in millwork, building beautiful furniture is our favorite. I feel it is a gift to me to be able to do what I love for a living.