The Maker

Kris, the Maker in The Basement Woodshop, is focused on creating pieces that are beautiful, well-constructed and practical.

I build things, make stuff, and come up with creative ways to fix anything broken -- My skills in a nutshell.   As far back as I remember I’ve always loved building things, taking things apart to see how they work, and putting them back together. I started building with Construx, K-Nex and Legos as a child and that interest continued into my teens. I still enjoy playing with Legos with my sons from time to time.

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For years I was interested in working with wood, but did not want to spend the money for the tools. I think my wife got tired of hearing me talk about wanting to build stuff, so she encouraged me to do it.  My first purchases were a compound miter saw, a random orbital sander, a few small hand tools, and some lumber from a big box store. After that, I started building and haven’t stopped.

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My first major project came about when we needed a bunk bed for our children (see image).  I searched the web to find a build plan that would fit our requirements.  I saw that Jay Bates of Jayscustomcreations.com did a video on the bunk beds he made. From his website, I purchased the plan for the bunk beds, and started building.  After about a week of working on the project - almost every day after work - the bunks were complete.  I realized during that week of building that woodworking was something that I not only enjoyed but loved.  I wanted to woodwork every day. I wanted to teach it to my sons and share the things I’ve made with others.  

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Since making the bunk bed, I have made plenty of other items: side tables, pot rack, bookshelves, television stand, bar stools, chairs, picture frames, spoons, paper towel holders, pantry cabinets, cutting boards, pizza peels, boxes, dominoes, monster trucks, etc.  Being a self-taught woodworker, I enjoy learning and developing my craft and overcoming the challenges each new project brings.

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Circa 2016, The Basement Woodshop was born in our Phoenixville, Pennsylvania basement which has since been transformed into a fully-equipped wood shop. In our shop we use various types of wood - Apple, Canary, Cherry, Maple, Purpleheart, Padauk, Red Oak, and Black Walnut - which are hand-picked from local lumberyards.