Ashgrove StudioFurniture maker
Call (706) 555-0178

A furniture studio in Athens, since 2014

Ashgrove Studio. Furniture made one piece at a time, to be seen up close.

Dining tables, casework, chairs and small work in regional hardwoods, drawn to scale before a board is cut and delivered across the Southeast from Athens.

Start a commission Visit the studio

A live-edge burl walnut dining table on a slab pedestal, ringed by spindle-back chairs in a gallery
Burl walnut table on a slab pedestal, shown as a stand-in. Credits are in the footer.
Founded
2014
Lead time
12 to 16 weeks
Next bench slot
About four months out
Delivery
Within a day's drive

Materials and joinery

Close-ups of grain, joints and finish. The photographs are credited stand-ins; a real studio shows its own bench.

A quartersawn hard maple board seen at an angle, straight face grain running into the growth rings of its end grain

Regional hardwoods

Oak, walnut, maple and cherry from mills within a day's drive, dried in the studio's own kiln.

The cut corner of a drawer box, interlocking fingers joined with no fasteners, a pencil mark reading side

Joinery, not fasteners

Tenons, dovetails and wedges carry the load. Screws hold hinges and nothing else.

Close view of a bookmatched walnut lid with a deep clear finish, pale sapwood edge and steel pulls

Finishes you can fix

Hardwax oil on almost everything, so a scratch is a ten-minute repair at home, not a refinish.

Close view of pegged through-tenons on the end of a dark oak sideboard, above a hammered iron drawer pull

Pegged to last

Through-tenons are drawbored with oak pegs, so a joint pulls itself tight and can be knocked apart and remade a century from now.

Kinds of work

Tables, casework, seating and small work, all to order.

Dining tables

Solid slab or plank tops on hand-shaped bases, sized to the room they are going into.

Cabinets and casework

Sideboards, bookcases, wardrobes and built-ins with doors that close like a good drawer.

Chairs and seating

Dining chairs, stools and benches, shaped for sitting rather than for a photograph.

Small work

Cutting boards, boxes, trays and mirrors from the offcuts of the larger pieces.

How a commission goes

Every commission runs the same six steps, so you always know where your piece is. Sample timings for a sample studio.

  1. Week 1

    A conversation

    A woodworker's bench under walls of hand planes, saws and chisels in an old timber workshop
  2. Weeks 2 to 3

    Drawings

    A rosewood and brass mortise marking gauge lying on a pale pine bench top
  3. Week 4

    Deposit and materials

    Rough sawn hardwood boards stacked and leaning in a workshop with tall windows behind
  4. Weeks 5 to 12

    Making

    An old wooden bench plane with curled pale shavings on a plain light ground
  5. Weeks 13 to 14

    Finishing

    A woodworker seen from behind smoothing a walnut board with one hand, sawdust on the workshop floor
  6. Weeks 15 to 16

    Delivery

Read every step

Words from clients

These are sample reviews written to show the layout. No stars, no scores, nothing invented: real words go here, word for word, when the studio has them.

We sent a photo of the kitchen and a rough size. What came back was a drawing that solved a problem we had not noticed, the table blocking the door to the porch. The table is the best thing in the house.

Sample review, a family in Atlanta

Asked at the bench

How much does a commissioned table cost?

It depends on the size, the wood and the base, and every price is written down after the drawing, never guessed on the phone. Small work is priced on the Work page as it is made. Sample answer for a sample studio.

How long does a commission take?

Twelve to sixteen weeks from deposit for most pieces. Chairs in sets and large built-ins can run longer. The drawing stage gives you the real date before you commit.

Can I choose the wood?

Yes. The studio keeps white oak, black walnut, ash and cherry in the kiln, and can source others. The boards chosen for your piece are photographed and sent to you before they are cut.

Do you deliver?

Within a day's drive of Athens the studio delivers and sets the piece in place. Beyond that, pieces are crated for freight and the cost is quoted with the drawing.

Can I visit the studio?

Saturday mornings the showroom door is open. During the week, visits are by appointment so the machines can be stopped and someone can walk you through.

What if a piece gets damaged later?

Bring it back, or send a photo. Most marks on an oiled finish are a ten-minute repair, and the studio will always talk you through it or do it for you.

Commissions are open. The next bench slot is about four months out.

Start a commission

Tell us the piece, the room and roughly when you need it. A written reply with questions and a first price range comes within three business days.

Or call (706) 555-0178.

Notes from the bench

A short email when a piece comes off the bench or a bench slot opens up, six to eight times a year. No sales, and you can leave any time.