10/21/2026
Building for a master craftsman has a way of making you look at your own work a little harder.
I did plenty of that on this one.
The Reserve Auto Restoration llc. came to me through Brad Pickett, who has known John since they were kids. I already knew of John and his reputation in automotive restoration. His world is bodywork, paint, fit and finish. Details that most people walk past are the things he makes his living getting right.
And now he was trusting me to build something for his shop.
His direction was pretty straightforward. He wanted something badass, with a rickhouse feel, functional shelving behind it, and THE RESERVE big across the top. Then came the challenge.
“No screws.”
Beyond that, he gave me creative freedom. I drew out a rough top, front and side view on a piece of paper. Nothing fancy. Crude as could be, honestly.
His response was basically, send it.
That kind of trust means something to me.
At one point during this project, I was in my shop working on chairs for his place while watching his Bronco go across the block at Barrett-Jackson. I’d had the auction on all day waiting for it. I was excited for him, and pretty damn excited to have a small part in what he was building back home.
Then I’d look back at the work in front of me and start picking it apart again.
This build asked a lot of me. Heavy oak, traditional joinery, through-tenons, wooden pins, and barrels worked into a piece that still had to function as a reception counter. Even the little dowels got their own chamfered edges. There were over sixty of them.
And there are details in it that belong to John’s world. A ’67 GTO shift pattern. An inlaid wrench. The Reserve logo worked into the top. Things you can walk up to and keep finding, with usable storage behind it all.
It took longer than I intended. John gave me patience along with that creative freedom, and I don’t take either lightly.
Before delivery, we were talking and he asked if I was happy with it. I told him I could pick it apart, knowing he understood exactly how that goes.
He reminded me that it wasn’t intended to be perfect.
I told him I was happy with it.
“That’s all that matters to me.”
He told me I’d accepted his challenge and completed it. That took some weight off my back. But I still wanted to get it there, put it in its place, and see his face.
When we delivered it, he was absolutely blown away.
After all that time looking at every detail and second-guessing myself, seeing his satisfaction was a big one for me. Afterward, Faith was reminding me to quit doubting myself.
Then The Reserve shared it with their own words:
“SHB absolutely KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK!”
“Pictures don’t even do it justice!”
Coming from a shop full of people who spend their days building one-of-a-kind cars, that means a hell of a lot.
John, thank you for the challenge, the patience, and the trust. Brad, thank you for making the connection.
Proud to have a piece of SHB standing in The Reserve. 🤙
