About GBW
My goal in creating and restoring furniture and other pieces is to bring something to life. Each piece that is born or reborn in the shop goes on to have a life of its own, and I think of them every now and then, like an old friend.
I build durable long lasting pieces is so that my customers do not have to settle for replacing cheap ones over and over. I restore pieces that can be returned to service with a little patience and elbow grease. There is value in these artifacts that cannot be understood in dollars and cents. I view my work as directly combative to the throw away culture that is responsible for so much environmental degradation.
Nathan Smith
I've enjoyed working with my hands as long as I can remember. The sense of pride earned from making something beautiful, useful, or preferably both, has been with me for perhaps just as long. My father exposed me to this line of work when I was young; we rarely hired help for projects big or small around the house. The early experience with handiwork and problem solving lit a flame that has subsisted through the years. Since then I've had stints in the start up world, the corporate world, academia, the building trades, and even tourism. Now, I focus on a variety of conservation topics, including marine conservation and technology innovation for conservation impact, but standing on my own two feet and making dust will always be irresistible.
When I'm not in the shop I can be found at home with Anna, my lovely wife, working on Rosa - my 1988 Ford Ranger, or at my day jobs: PhD student at the University of Maine and Economic Research Analyst.