Our Story

One summer when I was around the age of 13 I was asked to help at my grandpa’s sawmill for a week. I believe this was the start of my love for working. 

In addition to being a sawyer, my grandpa was a woodworker, using the lumber he milled to create furniture and other items. This fascinated me greatly and I began to make the half mile trip to his sawmill to grab lumber so I could craft projects of my own. Being young enough to only have a bicycle for a means of transportation, hauling lumber back to my house was a challenge. After a few trips carrying the boards on my bike, my dad, who is a problem solver and who can fabricate or fix anything, built a hitch for my bike so I could pull a hand truck behind it to haul the lumber. 

My dad gave me a spot in his shed to woodwork but we both quickly realized I needed a place of my own. So, at age 15 I built my first woodworking shop, a small wood sided building, and began to fill it with my own tools. The first projects I crafted were small such as cutting boards, clocks, jewelry boxes and the like. However, it wasn’t long before I began to dabble in cabinetry. 

In 2018, I decided to purchase a sawmill and began to mill my own lumber. The satisfaction of milling a tree and then working that lumber into a finished product is great. 

Much of what I have learned over the past  twenty years has been by experimenting on my own. Finding what works and doesn’t by my own experience. 

However, what I have learned the most is how much I enjoy working with hardwood lumber that doesn’t have a perfect grain or as my grandpa says “has character”. That “character” is what I try to capture with all the projects. My motto is “Helping nature speak”. I love looking at a finished product that has natural imperfections and is truly a one of a kind piece. That is what I want to create for each customer, a one of a kind set of kitchen cabinets, kitchen table, chest of drawers or whatever the piece may be (and of course I paint the occasional project as well if a customer desires). 

Anyone can purchase a set of cabinets from a home improvement store or a table from a chain furniture store. But if you are looking for a special, quality built piece, contact me. I would love to design and build a project for you. 

Brett Giacomo, Owner and Craftsman of Giacomo’s Custom Woodworking