We at Jim Howe Woodworking & Design specialize in designing just the right piece of furniture for your particular space, functional requirements, and artistic preferences — everything from small tables to bedroom suites to entire built-in libraries. Our portfolio includes styles ranging from craftsman to art nouveau to modern because we design each piece for that client, rather than creating "our" line of furniture. Whatever you need in hardwood, we can create for you. We have been designing and building fine hardwood furniture for homes and businesses since 1989.

We are based in Issaquah, near Seattle, Washington, and have created furniture for delivery both locally and internationally. For clients in the greater Seattle area, the initial discussion about the project usually takes place in the room where the furniture will be used. With more distant clients we rely on email and phone conversations, and exchange drawings and photographs.

Truly custom furniture

Most cabinet and furniture shops are set up for quick throughput and economies of scale. Time consuming design work is kept to a minimum by using standardized components. The equipment, the staffing, and the product line are all geared to getting product out quickly. If what they make matches what you want, you can get something quickly and often fairly cheaply. If what you want is not what they're making, they often can't help you at all.

Jim Howe Woodworking & Design takes a completely different approach. Design work is a major part of what we do, because we are designing each piece for a specific client and a specific need. We don't use mass production equipment, because we aren't doing mass production work. We welcome the small jobs with special constraints that the mass production shops can't handle. Best of all, we have one or two people working on each project from start to finish. Jim Howe knows your project inside and out, because he's designed it for you and he's worked on it. Everyone at Jim Howe Woodworking & Design is here because they love to make beautiful furniture out of beautiful wood. As we work to create your furniture, we are aware of your voice, your space, and your interests. It takes a little longer, but it's worth a lot more.

How we work with you

The first thing we do is listen.

We want to know what you want the piece to do, where it needs to fit, what it needs to hold. We also want to know what is beautiful to you. What makes your eyes light up? What do you want this piece to express? What styles and woods express that to you? When we first meet with you, it helps if you can show us or describe to us furniture that you like. Tell us what you like about it that you would like to see in the furniture we create for you. For example, the owner of the Art Deco entertainment center showed us Art Deco furniture that she especially liked, and she was drawn to a corner cabinet in our portfolio that featured a curved door.

The second thing we do is sketch.

Jim typically makes a quick sketch during your first conversation about the project, and works with you to refine the sketch. He might also make a more refined drawing later at his drafting board, especially for large or complicated projects.

Next, we give you a formal bid.

The bid is an offer to produce the project for a specified price. For many projects we need to do some research before we can make a bid. For example, we often need to do much of the design work involved in actually building the piece in order to accurately estimate the cost of materials. Or we might need to find suppliers for special items.

When you accept the bid and pay the deposit, we add your project to our work list. We usually have one or two jobs that we are actively working on, and a few more in line. If there is a lead time for any of the materials your project requires, we can order them while your job is waiting to be started.

We keep you informed as work on your project progresses. When it's done we deliver it to you if you're within the greater Seattle area, and install it if your project is a built-in or architectural piece. If you are outside the greater Seattle area we typically ship it to you FOB Issaquah, WA. If you are outside of the Seattle area and want a piece installed, we'll be happy to work with you.