Each piece at Rainforest Custom tells a story. The day I visited Dean Graber\u2019s woodworking shop in the barn at Don Abel\u2019s, the showroom hosted a 173-year-old piano, its top taken off and inner workings exposed, waiting for the sheet of glass that will transform it into a kitchen island and a singular conversation piece.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis wood is Brazilian rosewood which you can\u2019t get anymore because it\u2019s protected,\u201d Graber explained. He didn\u2019t have to go far to find the piano, though: \u201cCraigslist,\u201d he said, \u201cright here in Juneau.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nearby is a bench and barn door made of a complicated mesh of wooden strips. Those strips are reclaimed Boeing parts crates, a lucrative material for Graber.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the second shipment and I\u2019m looking for a third shipment right now,\u201d he said. He recently completed a bed and matching nightstands with a design that emphasized the material\u2019s tetris-like qualities.<\/p>\n
But the piece that drew my eye is a table where two pieces of raw wood rest under glass, the light wood riddled with dark burrows made by teredo clams. It\u2019s an absolutely unique cartography.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what sinks wooden ships,\u201d Graber explained to me. \u201cAny wooden ship at some time or another is going to have teredo clams in them and that\u2019s what could sink them.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot about wood and woodworking I didn\u2019t even know I didn\u2019t know before I spent time with Graber: starburst veneer, burl bowls, bookmatched cabinet doors, the peculiar hardness and unique look of bamboo endgrain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose things mean a lot to me in the quality of the piece and I think to a lot of people, they mean something after I pointed them out,\u201d Graber said. \u201cThey may not know that but it makes a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Making a different type of product is what Graber seeks to do with his high-quality, custom-designed pieces in a town crowded with furniture from Fred Meyers and IKEA.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a big step up from that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
People have taken notice. Rainforest Custom celebrated its one-year anniversary on Sept. 15 and is going strong. \u201cBusiness keeps growing,\u201d Graber said as he talks about hiring another employee after one jumped ship for a career in Arctic and Antarctic cruises (CCW freelancer Daven Hafey. Check out his article about the Northwest Passage here http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/zxtorfa.) \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to getting somebody else to keep things flowing because I keep getting more jobs in.\u201d<\/p>\n
During its first year, Rainforest Custom got a big contract for the State Library Archives and Museum building, crafting all the boxes and blocks for the artwork to sit on, as well as a couple of conference tables.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a big kick for the business\u2026 and we were honored to do it,\u201d said Graber.<\/p>\n
But Rainforest Custom works on projects big and small. Recently, he\u2019s shifted the focus more toward turning out smaller items like boxes, iPad stands, sushi trays and necklaces for Public Market in November. Graber will have a double booth in the lobby at the JACC where he hopes the smaller items will entice people toward his business.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t realize that custom work can be affordable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Customers can come to him with complete plans or \u201csomething as simple as \u2018I have an idea,\u2019\u201d and Graber will meet with them to design their piece.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to be creative… I like trying new things,\u201d Graber said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a great first year \u2026 and we are looking forward to making a lot of stuff here in town.\u201d<\/p>\n
To find out more about Rainforest Custom, visit www.rainforestcustom.com or call 635-0293. Graber\u2019s shop is open Tuesday-Saturday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. or by appointment.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Contact Capital City Weekly staff writer and design wizard Randi Spray at randi.spray@capweek.com. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"