10/15/2025
A few weeks ago my grandfather passed away after a long battle with Alzheimers.
For those that don’t know, my grandfather meant the world to me. He was the one that originally introduced me to woodworking when I was a kid, and one of the main reasons that I started Bricker & Beam over 13 years ago. Our name is even influenced by his farm, a place I cherish.
I remember spending countless hours during my summers in his little woodshop in Ohio, learning to make picture frames and other small, random projects. He always had some project that needed doing, and always allowed me to “help” - even when I only got in the way. (I mostly got in the way and asked too many questions.)
We never made anything like the furniture we now make today, but it didn’t matter. I soaked up every little project, the time spent together, and most of all just learning to work with my hands.
Although he’s in a much better place now, it’s still been a difficult few weeks. I spent last week in Ohio sorting through his old hand planes and antique woodworking tools - many of them which were passed down from his father - a woodworker, homebuilder, and master craftsman in his own rite - and it really reminded me of the reason I started all of this in the first place.
Bricker & Beam was founded on the idea that furniture could tell a story. Not the story of the wood, the glue, or the nails - but the story of the craftsman and the heritage that is imparted into every piece. We’ve never seen our furniture as a commodity on a shelf, but a hand-crafted vessel for sharing a bit of our story that’s then woven it into yours.
Over the next couple months we have some big changes planned for our furniture studio. Some things will change, some will stay the same, but we’re immensely grateful for you and your decision to come along for the ride.
We couldn’t be more excited for this new chapter, and can’t wait to share it with you.
J.