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About Kapristo Mountain Woodcraft
(click pictures to enlarge)
raw materials
~ product care ~ chair construction ~
nightstand construction
terms and conditions
Kapristo Mountain
Woodcraft is a home-based company dedicated to producing distinctive,
quality rustic furniture and woodcraft.
We are a small,
family-run business operating out of our home and workshop on 7 wooded
acres in southeast British Columbia, in the Columbia Valley near the
growing town of Golden.
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We design and build a
varied line of handcrafted rustic furniture, twig miniatures and
household accessories, and fill many one-of-a-kind custom orders for
clients with specific design ideas for their homes.
As our business evolves, we delight in the seasonal cycle of work that
is emerging. Late summer through early spring has us based in Golden, BC
where we make our home. Fall and winter is prime production time as the
sap is down, allowing the birch bent-wood style furniture to be built
when there will be the least amount of shrinkage in the wood. |
 Springtime
brings the finishing stage of the winter’s woodcraft production, and
preparation for the
annual ‘KMW North America Tour.’ We travel with truck and trailer across
Canada and into the northeast US, delivering furniture and other stock
to private clients and several stores. Our kayaks are strapped on top of
the truck and our summer is a working holiday, combining camping and
paddling with furniture deliveries, chair-building demonstrations and
marketing.
Our summer residence with our US family is on the edge of the White
Mountains in Maine. From there we head up to Ontario to our
Canadian family for more visiting and paddling, marketing and workshops.
Late summer brings us back to the Rockies and our western circuit for
workshops, custom orders and production. |
The diversity of
approaches to promoting arts and culture that we see in different
communities inspires us to bring ideas back to the Columbia Valley where
we work as part of a growing network of arts organizations and artisans
with working studios. We enjoy a hands-on approach to business that
keeps us personally responsible for all aspects of production, ordering,
administration and delivery.
Dean Spence and Cathie
Green Bio Information.
We do most of the work ourselves, including supervising young employees
who build twig miniatures out of wood scrap from furniture production.
We apply sustainable business practices wherever we can – from the use
of linseed oil as our primary finishing oil, to the coppicing technique
by which we harvest wood, to training young employees who live in our
neighborhood.
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Raw
Materials: The raw materials for bent
wood work are harvested in an environmentally-friendly way known as
‘coppicing.’ The main trunk of the tree is left to regenerate new
saplings after selectively pruning some of the many stems typically
found on a birch or Douglas maple root system. Frame materials are
stored for drying, prior to assembling them into frames for stock chair
designs. The long whip-like benders are softened using a knee pad and
elbow grease and applied to chair frames within a week of harvesting.
Acorns and pine cones
are gathered from the forest floor for use as ornamentation.
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 Construction
- Rustic Armchairs:
KMW bent willow
style furniture is made from birch - a wood much stronger than the
willow typically used in this style of furniture. The birch is collected
only when the sap level of the trees is low (from late summer until late
winter) as the bark is most stable and adheres well to the underlying
wood at this time.
KMW furniture designs
utilize the character of the wood wherever structurally possible. Frames
are screwed together for maximum strength, using rust-resistant alloy
screws complete with decorative and functional washers. The benders,
used to build the curved arms and hoop backs of the chairs, are drilled
and nailed to one another every six to eight inches; nails are set below
the surface so they remain hidden. While the saplings must be green and
supple when they are used, they dry to a rigid yet flexible strength.
The elegant appearance of these pieces complements their sturdy
construction; form and function go hand in hand.
The chairs are dried for four months and then oiled with a mixture of
double-boiled linseed oil - other finishes are available on request.
Construction
- Chests of Drawers and Nightstands:
A cabinet maker
builds the shell to KMW’s specifications, using quality drawer glides
and hardware. We then laminate with birch bark and twig,
add distinctively curved legs and ornamentation, and apply three coats
of linseed oil to the chest or the cabinet. Additional varathane finish is applied to decorative
birch bark or slab tops, or a glass-covered mosaic may be specified.
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Product
Care: KMW’s birch bentwood furniture
will last indefinitely indoors or on a covered porch. If it is to be
placed outside, we recommend at least three coats of an oil-based
finish, and placement in a sheltered location away from direct sun and
rain. Waterproof covers sold commercially for porch furniture may
be used to provide additional protection. Outside furniture should be
re-finished once every two years.
 If
you’re interested in outdoor furniture check out our new
cedar garden benches. These will age to a
silver patina if left un-oiled and allowed to weather naturally
outdoors, or they can be dressed up with cushions to create an elegant
rustic look indoors.
All furniture should be occasionally cleaned with Murphy's Oil soap, or
an equivalent good wood furniture cleaner, and wiped down with a soft
cloth.
Re-Oiling: Wash
the chair with a soft-bristled brush using Murphy's Oil Soap diluted
with hot water and leave to dry overnight. Mix double boiled linseed oil
1:1 with paint thinner. Apply with a bristle brush, and then thoroughly
wipe down the piece with a clean cotton rag before the oil begins to
dry.
It takes an hour or so to oil a chair but it has a high satisfaction
quotient to it.
It
lengthens the life of the furniture by reconditioning and protecting the
wood, and makes it glow again like new.
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Terms
and Conditions: Due to the "one-of
-kind" nature of KMW furniture, it can only be reproduced in style and
resemblance. Stock items are built to plans but each piece is
individual. Pricing will vary on custom furniture depending on the
quantity and uniqueness of wood used in each piece, and the degree of
complexity of the design.
Pricing: All prices
are subject to change without notice.
Terms: All custom orders require a 50% deposit and the balance is due
before shipping. All claims for loss or damage in transit must be filed
with the carrier. Kapristo Mountain Woodcraft is not responsible for
damage occurring during shipping.
Returns: Kapristo Mountain Woodcraft must pre-authorize any return.
Cancellations: Kapristo Mountain Woodcraft reserves the right to retain
any or all of the deposit. The customer will be responsible for costs
incurred.
Custom Orders: Kapristo Mountain Woodcraft specializes in custom orders.
Please contact us
for more information.
Chairs and Loveseats: Cushions are available by special order. Refer to
the Links Page for custom chair
cushions.
Guarantee: Cracks and checks are inherent in the natural materials
Kapristo Mountain Woodcraft uses and shall not be considered defects.
However, Kapristo Mountain Woodcraft will repair or replace any piece
free of charge that becomes structurally unsound from cracking and
checking.
Shipping Information: Please contact
Kapristo Mountain
Woodcraft for specific details.
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