Gary Krauss started this business in 1989, renovating homes in New York City and building traditional style furniture. His new style called live-edge started about five years ago, allowing the true character of the wood to show through. His functional and beautiful designs have been very popular. He uses Maine logs, mainly wild cherry, figured maple, beech and butternut.
Gary looks for logs that have character, then builds and designs every piece himself. The finish process, run by his son-in-law Chris Keene includes hand sanding, natural oils, and hand rubbed polyurethane. You won’t believe how smooth and durable it is.
Gary’s wife Christine has been his business manager and an essential part of helping local artisans sell their work. Their daughter, Danielle, has been working for Native Woods for over nine years, first doing finish work and now sales. Chris Keene is responsible for finish work and installations.
"As a fourth generation woodworker, I learned my craft as a child at my father’s workbench in California; leaving to pursue Eastern History at the University of Guam then returning to my first love, woodworking, to form a lucrative remodeling business, Home Revitalization in New York City.
On a flight west to visit my family in Los Angeles, I met a flight attendant named Chris and within a year I was living in a beautiful Victorian Bed 'n Breakfast in East Wilton. Our daughter Danielle and son-in-law Chris are an integral part of the family business.
I still do custom interiors, but my horizons have expanded to include my true love— designing and building unique furniture."
The Jaffe's Custom-designed Cherry & Maple China Cabinet, Table & Bench.
Our business is built on the philosophy that sustainable forestry begins with wood-use efficiency. Not too many years ago, the first cut, or bark edge of the log, was thrown into a woodstove to heat our workshop. Now we utilize the whole log, from bark to heartwood, to make our unique line of frames and furniture.
We also save scraps for area artisans who make turned wood pens, salt and pepper grinders, and free form lamp bases. We even give the wood shavings to farmers for animal bedding. Our style is called live-edge, leaving the natural curve and bark on the wood instead of milling it straight. This creates a beautiful natural look, one you may never have seen before.
There will be a standard dimension to case work and frame interiors, but as in nature no two trees are alike, therefore each piece will have its own unique character.
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Custom sizes are available and Native Woods offer design services to work with your specifications. Please see our Shipping and Payment Options.
The finish we put on our furniture is extremely durable, six hand rubbed coats of oil and urethane.
Wood species is by availability only. Native Woods seeks to find that right log, deeply figured with burls and sweeps to make its one-of-a-kind furniture and frame pieces.
Danielle Keene, Sales
in a cherry Coos Canyon frame
Christine Krauss, Marketing in a
maple Coos Canyon frame
Chris Keene, Finish & Installations in
a small cherry picture frame
Live-edge Bathrooms. This photo features beautiful live-edge door moldings and a live-edge vanity.
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