OFF TO CALIFORNIA
As I mentioned in my last Newsletter, I have been working with a gentleman in California who had never seen any of my pieces of handmade furniture in person, but had only seen images on my website. I was honored that he trusted my craftsmanship and design abilities enough to order my Pickwell Table sight unseen. I was determined, as I am with all of my clients, that my table exceed his expectations. This is a quote from an email I received after delivery of his Walnut dining table: "Honestly, the pictures really don’t do your work justice. All I can say is that looking at your table actually left me speechless…. which is rare. Thank you so much for doing such an unbelievable job on it!" Obviously, I am chuffed! (An English expression meaning really pleased.)
- Raw Walnut Boards For Handmade Dining Table
- Table Top in Process
- Curly Maple Detail on Walnut Dining Table



- Chickens outside the shop door
Chicken Woodworkers
The other day I was working in my shop getting a set of dining chairs underway, when I heard a quiet clucking sound coming from beneath my work bench. And there, happily scratching around in the sawdust, was a chicken! She and her buddies snuck in through my barn door, which I keep open in the summer. I counted three in total, and then realized that one was roosting in my wood rack. Although I enjoy having them around, they poop all over the place so I have to shoo them outside. They've become very determined - they run away from me out the door, scoot off in multiple directions, and run right back in again! This is becoming a daily comedy of errors! I think I will miss my feathery friends once the weather gets cold and I have to shut my barn doors for the Winter.
- Going up the stairs!
- Hiding in the wood rack



Desk for Lake House
I was recently contacted by clients asking me to design and construct a simple, clean, beautiful desk for their lake house.The desk now lives under a large window looking out over Converse Bay on Lake Champlain. I used Cherry as the base wood, Quilted Makore for the drawer fronts, and I hand carved the pulls in Wenge.
That is Sammy hiding under the desk! He was staying with us this summer while his parents were in Europe.
- Cherry desk with quilted Makore drawer front and Wenge pulls
- Back of the desk


- Pencil Post Bed in Walnut
Pencil Post Bed
Here is an example of a recent bespoke Walnut Pencil Post Bed I've made for a house in Yarmouth, Maine. This is a contemporary take on a traditional design which originally would have had a tester to hold curtains.
- Pencil Post Bed in Walnut


- Chest of Drawers, Sapperton Line
Custom Chest of Drawers for a Playwright
There are many aspects to the creation of custom furniture that fill me with gratitude: designing furniture that is beautiful and functional, working through the complexities of executing those designs, bringing out the best of domestic and exotic woods, the satisfaction of working on my doorstep and being my own boss etc... But what I most appreciate are my clients. Each and every one has an incredible story to tell. I feel honored to work with them and to call many of them my friends. Recently, I finished a custom Sapperton Chest of Drawers for a playwright. He needed a tall chest with lots of drawers to hold his scripts. I love the connection that something I made from my mind and hands will be storing something he created from his mind and hands. How cool is that!
- Waterfall niters accentuate this clean design
Simple Does Not Mean Easy In Handmade Furniture
"It's a very simple design, John." Whenever I hear those words from my client, I know my skills are about to be tested - which I love - because simple does not necessarily mean easy when dealing with hand made furniture. I have made many pieces for her: Trestle Table and Pinnacle Chairs, along with a large coffee table, side table, and banquette of her design. Now she handed me drawings for 2 stunning side tables with clean, crisp lines, allowing the wood to speak for itself. I found the most interesting challenge to be the waterfall miters which allow the beautiful grain of the wood to seamlessly "flow" off the edges, down the front, back and sides of the rails and legs, creating a perfect union between the design and the wood. It is my pleasure to work with talented designers who trust my skills to bring to life their artistic visions.
- Crutches make the commute challenging!
The Challenging Winter Commute
I never thought the business of custom furniture making would be so treacherous! Sadly, I sprained my ankle the other day leaving my workshop. I was wearing my Dansko "Man Clogs" (my children's name for those ugly things) - which are great for standing on concrete all day long, but are certainly NOT good running shoes! (I've learned my lesson.) Then the snow started... I spent the first day of the storm with my foot elevated and iced. But with deadlines to be met, I had to get to the workshop on day 2. So my back pack, crutches and I headed out in the storm. I managed to hobble around on the crutches all day and did get some work done. By day 3, I was only using one crutch and by the end of the week, no crutches at all! Hurry up Spring!
- Contrast in new Pickwell Sideboard vs. 5 year old Pickwell Dining Table and Chalford Chairs
What A Difference Time Makes in the Natural Aging Process of Cherry
This past weekend, my clients in Stowe received their new Cherry and Maple Pickwell Sideboard to accompany their 5 year old custom, handmade Dining Room Table and Chairs. They were quite surprised to see the difference in the color of the new piece - although beautiful, it looked almost anemic next to the deep, lusterous aged wood of the dining table and chairs. I assured them the natural wood of the new sideboard would age rapidly, and ultimately "catch up" with the gorgeous color of the older pieces. Cherry ages quickly in the first 6 months, and then tends to slow down, although it is impossible to guarantee the new cherry sidebaord will look EXACTLY like the older dining table and chairs - each piece of wood has its own unique grain and characteristics. As stated in Popular Woodworking: "While all wood is in some measure chromophoric (meaning it changes when exposed to light), cherry has a more immediate and noticeable reaction to ultraviolet (UV) light than do most other domestic hardwoods."
- A Gorgeous Maple Farmhouse Table Made From a Fallen Tree
From Shady Backyard to Bustling Dining Area
I was recently contacted by clients who had a beautiful old Maple tree in their backyard which sadly fell down. They couldn't bear the idea of parting with it, so they decided to do something special with the wood. They loved my Farmhouse Dining Table - one of the most popular pieces of handmade custom furniture I have designed - and asked me to make one for their Glover, VT home. It was important to work with the character of the wood by utilizing the knots, the color inconsistencies, and imperfections to make a totally unique and beautiful table top. I used a tinted epoxy to fill in the knots and imperfections, then sanded everything perfectly smooth. The result is a one-of-a-kind, beautiful dining table with incredible character.
- Boards Cut For the Legs of the Farmhouse Table
- Table Top Clamped
- Imperfections Make Up The Character Of The Table Top





- Sideboard - Farmhouse Design with exotic details
'Tis The Season For Sideboards!
There seems to be a trend occurring in my furniture studio this year - sideboards!! I have made 4 sideboards in the past few months and have more orders on the way. My Farmhouse Sideboard, Gloucester Sideboard and Pinnacle Sideboard are being ordered with exotic drawer fronts, door panels, pulls, pegs and inlaid stringing. It is such a pleasure for me to create each piece to suit the individual styles and needs of my clients. These are all versatile designs with clean, crisp lines that allow the exotic woods to stand out, creating one of a kind pieces of custom furniture that fit in to many different settings and environments. I am particularly proud of the handmade Farmhouse sideboard I made for our dear friends, Kate and Drew, in Westfield, New Jersey. I was so thrilled to be told that the sideboard was "beyond beautiful" when they saw the first photograph of the completed piece.
- Sideboard with hand cut dovetail
- Sideboard with Exotic Woods
- Sideboard in Pickwell Design



- Ice covers everything on my short commute to work
The Deep Freeze
Who knew when I went from driving 1 to 3 hours a day to work I would be in more danger during my morning commute by walking 100 feet from my front door to the door of the workshop! The ice storm a few weeks back, followed by temperatures I can barely fathom, has created an ice rink across our entire yard and drive. I feel like an elephant in stillettos trying to navigate my way without falling and injuring a wrist - or worse! I have joined the throngs of other workers who are on their feet all day long by purchasing a pair of "man clogs" (as my son jokes, rolling his teenage eyes) and without crampons strapped to the bottom, I would not make the walk safely. I am anxiously awaiting, along with everyone else suffering through this Polar Vortex, a January thaw to melt the ice and return to my leisurely stroll up the drive each morning. Please be safe out there everyone!
CURRENT HANDMADE FURNITURE IN THE SHOP
Right now I am working on a custom sideboard for some dear friends of ours. It is a "souped up" version of the Farmhouse Sideboard. It has similar clean lines but adds exotic accents - quilted makore doors, curly cherry drawer fronts and ebonized tenon pegs. I will show the completed piece in my next blog.
- Carcass Under Construction
- Quilted Makore Door Fronts and Curly Cherry Drawer Fronts


- Articles
- Nov 30, 2020Farmhouse Coffee Table For Chris Kimble of Milkstreet Radio
- Apr 10, 2020Politics as a Hobby.
- Feb 25, 2020 New President Of The Guild
- Jul 16, 2019Versatile And Timeless - A Coffee Table For Any Setting
- May 31, 2019A Touch Of Glass
- Apr 8, 2019Desk Boosters Take Off To Their Final Destination
- Mar 5, 2019A Poker Player's Dream Board
- Oct 22, 2018A New Look For An Old Favorite
- Jun 5, 2018The Design Potential of Matched Veneers
- Apr 2, 2018Working With Clients Is The Best Part
- Feb 2, 2018Ellipse, Oval or Racetrack and the Tale of a Pedestal Table.
- Dec 4, 2017Hurry Home to Mama!
- Sep 21, 2017Beautiful And Versatile Sapele
- Jun 27, 2017Elegant Shaker Style
- May 10, 2017Oak Pedestal Table
- Feb 13, 2017Linking Contemporary and Traditional - The New Trio Coffee Table
- Jan 24, 2017Happy in Stowe
- Nov 13, 2016Video Demonstrates Sideboard Inlay Technique
- Oct 3, 2016New Splay Leg Dining Table
- Jun 22, 2016Family Heirloom - From Tall Ship in the 1600's to Australia via England
- May 19, 2016Searching For Quartered White Oak
- Mar 22, 2016Check out New Special Project Page
- Feb 23, 2016A Bench of Many Woods
- Jan 4, 2016Antique Restoration
- Nov 13, 2015Adaptable Custom Furniture Design - From Dining Table to Server to Coffee Table
- Oct 20, 2015Dining Chairs - Simplicity and Complexity
- Sep 21, 2015Open Studio Weekend October 3rd and 4th
- Aug 2, 2015Bold Turned Legs Give a Fresh Look
- Jul 1, 2015Cherry Display Cabinet
- Jun 8, 2015Making a Curved Table Apron
- Apr 27, 2015A New Face On An Old Family Friend
- Mar 12, 2015Making A Bowed Door
- Feb 23, 2015Birdseye Maple Table Goes to Local Home
- Jan 30, 2015Walnut Drop-Leaf Sofa Tables Completed
- Jan 14, 2015Steam Bending Wood For Inlay
- Nov 21, 2014OFF TO CALIFORNIA
- Sep 29, 2014Chicken Woodworkers
- Sep 8, 2014Desk for Lake House
- Jun 23, 2014Pencil Post Bed
- Jun 6, 2014Custom Chest of Drawers for a Playwright
- Apr 28, 2014Simple Does Not Mean Easy In Handmade Furniture
- Mar 31, 2014The Challenging Winter Commute
- Mar 10, 2014What A Difference Time Makes in the Natural Aging Process of Cherry
- Feb 17, 2014From Shady Backyard to Bustling Dining Area
- Jan 27, 2014'Tis The Season For Sideboards!
- Jan 8, 2014The Deep Freeze
- Nov 22, 2013Hunting Season in VT - Where is Everyone?
- Oct 28, 2013Defiance Boards - Final Resting Place in the O'Brien's Kitchen - Part 3
- Oct 7, 2013Defiance Boards - From Bathroom Floor to Gorgeous Table - Part 2
- Sep 23, 2013Defiance Boards - From Bathroom Floor to Gorgeous Table - Part 1
- Sep 3, 2013It Was Meant To Be!
- May 10, 2013Middlebury College & the Founders Canes, a Graduation Tradition
- May 10, 2013Middlebury College & the Founders Canes, a Graduation Tradition
- Apr 30, 2013The extraordinary science of the vacuum press
- Apr 30, 2013The extraordinary science of the vacuum press
- Apr 22, 2013The Pinnacle Collection
- Apr 22, 2013The Pinnacle Collection
- Jan 30, 2013Letting The Wood Move You
- Jan 30, 2013Letting The Wood Move You
- Dec 6, 2012Give a gift of artisan furniture from one of Vermont's finest master craftsmen this holiday season, and save an additional 5 - 10%!
- Nov 7, 2012The Sign Is Up
- Nov 7, 2012The Sign Is Up
- Nov 5, 2012Locally Sourced Lumber-Exclusively Vermont Wood Products
- Nov 5, 2012Locally Sourced Lumber-Exclusively Vermont Wood Products
- Oct 30, 2012Vermont Furniture Maker Chooses GreenGuard Finishes
- Oct 23, 2012Veneering Versus Solid Wood
- Oct 23, 2012Veneering Versus Solid Wood
- Sep 27, 2012Used Machinery
- Sep 26, 2012John Lomas Custom Furniture Expands Chalford Collection
- Sep 20, 2012First commission
- Sep 20, 2012First commission
- Aug 10, 2012Building The Workshop
- Aug 10, 2012Building The Workshop
- Aug 1, 2012Welcome to John Lomas Custom Furniture
- Aug 1, 2012Welcome to John Lomas Custom Furniture
- Feb 26, 2012Magic-Vermont sailing on a calm day
- Feb 26, 2012Magic-Vermont sailing on a calm day