Category Archives: Affordable Designs Wood

Satisfying work involves challenge

Occasionally you get the chance to do something you’ve not done before and you get a final result that pleases you and your customer. That’s when work is really satisfying. Not all jobs provide challenging opportunities, but it’s possible to … Continue reading

Posted in Affordable Designs Wood, Basic Business Concepts | Leave a comment

Coming up for air…

I’ve just completed a commissioned design that proves the validity of the old saying, Be careful what you wish for.

For the past few weeks, Gerry, my woodworking buddy, and I have been designing and fabricating our way through a brand-new design concept in 90 degree weather.

A charming person in St Louis had found my Box-Carts website through Google and decided that I should make her a patio table similar in function to the table shown on my site, but of different material and vastly different styling.

I had been wishing for an opportunity to update my patio table design and this commission came to me out of the blue from the exact type of client I had set the company up to service!

Of course, the complexity of the design did not begin to fully reveal itself until we were fully engaged in the project. By then, we had the bit in our teeth and we just drove on through one design decision after another until we ended today, weary, but victorious with a new design to enhance outdoor entertaining. Click on image to enlargePatio-Cart-Open

Continue reading

Posted in Affordable Designs Wood, Doing What You Love | Leave a comment

Problems generate opportunities

containers1

These are container gardens and a water garden, all designed for use on a deck. Click on image to enlarge

Deer are protected at Lake Monticello, so it is almost impossible to raise vegetables or flowers in the usual manner. Deer-proof mesh is ugly and essentially obscures the blooms you are caring for. Most people have gone into apathy and have essentially given up on gardening

Recently a new customer pleaded with me to design a wooden garden box for his deck that would let him cultivate vegetables while standing up. He explained that he loved to raise vegetables, but had no desire to squat and pull weeds.

Continue reading

Posted in Affordable Designs Wood | Leave a comment

Affordable designs vs custom products

I returned from our few days of vacation to find myself the recipient of more new design business than I could comfortably handle. What a wonderful problem to have!

I have been repositioning the products and services offered by Box-Carts, my custom woodworking business. It may appear to be a subtle point, but it has made a significant difference in the reception I get and in the amount of interest generated.

I now stress that we provide affordable designs in wood rather than custom wood products. Those of you with a background in short-run manufacturing, will see that there is actually little difference in what is being produced. There is, however, a significant difference in what is being purchased.

Continue reading

Posted in Affordable Designs Wood | Leave a comment