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Show Cestom hardwood! furniture Iby Wsilras WmdwmUmg ' - . x x !- 1 x ''y. xj-xi XxjxWStj.' If xXVexxx .f - xx -xy'i,-- " Jew?''"'' . ' n - - - ; x ; x v 4 x ' ' 1 - x v . :X v v. x r V. . 4 - . x Jv; ;.-r t(!;lF ixf Tr , -.v ... ., , i. A f . till if : . V ' 5 mm mmm j; fv ' J "I ' . .. dJWWxWW " X-X,5,tllf -XX x . V x x f N- . v; - f ; .1. 1 ' - , s. , ) , - " W l 1 xx S xx-- 0 0 fl'ao ;-' - I X? x, O r NJ v The Woodworkers John and Sean Sundberg. own needs and tastes. The woodworkers became carpenters car-penters and did much of the remodeling (including breaking break-ing up the sloping concrete floors) themselves. The connecting con-necting building became the major shop area. The creamery cream-ery was converted . into a spacious home and the oldest section is now in the process of being converted from a boiler room to a passive solar shop. When Walrus Woodworkers Wood-workers sandblasted the front of the building and . hung out their hand carved shingle the whole community took notice. Walrus Woodworkers gained further local recognition recogni-tion at the Park City Arts Festival last summer. Their roll top desk and shaker chest were praised up and : down Main Street. "It took a huge amount of effort to Sean and shaker roll top chest. 'I I ' f 4 I f j it S i II w I , -. r By Nan Chalat The old creamery once again whirrs with activity. Saws hum in the workshop, smoke rises from the stacks, John unloads a pickup full of hardwood from McBeath's and young Joshua rides his new bike back and forth out front. The driveway is paved with a rainbow array of sawdust, the old boiler stands off to the side to make way for more shop space and Sean is inside working on a design for a custom order. Oaklyites nod approvingly to see that the old building which has served the town for so long has been restored ; and is back in active use. Sean explains that the original part of the building was built as a home in the late 1800s. Brooklawn built a creamery next to the house in 1906. The road to the mill pond ran between the two and led to a sawmill and a grist mill. The mills only recently gave way to trailers. Brooklawn Creamery expanded expan-ded and built a structure to join the house, to their operation. When John and Sean bought the Creamery in the fall of 1978 from architect Ed Wright, Brooklawn could still be read in faded letters above the doorway. Now the sign above the door reads "Custom Hardwood Furniture Furni-ture WALRUS WOODWORKING" WOOD-WORKING" and though the Sundbergs still receive a few requests "or. cheese they are steadily gaining a reputation as excellent woodworkers. Walrus was aliv? and well in Murray in 1978 with business ranging from kitchen kit-chen cabinetry to custom office furniture. But the Sundbergs felt that Salt Lake was closing in on them. .They spoke to their banker who had recently moved out of Salt Lake City to Park City. He claimed that the move had improved the quality of his life and upon his recommendation Walrus began be-gan to look for a home and shop space in this area. "When we saw the creamery we were captured by it," said Sean. "It was time for us to change gears and to move in a more rural direction." Extensive remodeling and restoration were required to . convert the building into a suitable workliving space but according to the woodworkers wood-workers that meant that they could tailor the space to their Sean and Mary Bareuna tackle the remodeling job removing century old bricks to make way for passive solar windows. . A -' " "' "' "' ' 11 " pr " i ii r i -iim inn n n ninin iiinnm liiimiiiuiiiiiiiuiiuim i """ ' " '"" i linrniini "i r "rrr n " I mTrnnniimnritiiir imiiiwin iiiMnmnriowin "ii i ' 'iiMi""uiiii'iiiiiiiiiii""nB " ' . - : t : ;-: :V : III - 7?r r U cijj pit I vy;jzxt-& f&JffiVi 1 411) K . 4 i fiP;i aeSSf. - 35s2N move the pieces," said John, "but I think it was worth it." Because most of the work is made for custom orders the furniture displayed at the Arts Festival came from the Sundberg's home;. "A friend came by and told us later that he thought we had " moved," Sean remembered. Their work drew the most comment from fellow woodworkers wood-workers whose discerning eyes notes the devetailed drawers and crafted joinery. John and Sean each take pride in being self-taught. Their lessons came from careful observation of antique" anti-que" craftsmenship, the way pieces were fitted together rather than stapled. As their catalog proudly proclaims they are v a century behind. " The catalog also shows how well that old time craft work can compliment modern designs de-signs from conference tables to modular units including bunkbeds, shelves nd storage stor-age space. Sean does a great - . deal of the design work herself collecting photographs photo-graphs of antiques and then working closely with a customer to adapt traditional pattern to a new, concept. John handles the greatest part of . the assembly work. He is also a walking wood encyclopedia. Walrus hand- les" 14 types of domestic hardwood and several exotic hardwoods. Among his favorites fa-vorites to work ; with are Hondouras mahogany, walnut wal-nut and white oak.' He would like, also to experiment with native materials such as cottonwood, native pine, oak and maple. In general, he says, people are beginning to look toward cottonwood and aspen as other hardwoods become more expensive and ultimately more difficult to obtain. What is truly becoming difficult to obtain though is the kind of craftsmenship that is found at Walrus Woodworking. A rainbow inlay of ash, maple; walnut, cherry, oak, Koa and etony decorates the headboard of Joshua's bed. |