Supplying Your Own Materials

We love when clients bring a personal touch to a project—and sometimes, that means bringing your own materials. Whether it’s lumber from your own property or wood salvaged from a beloved piece of furniture, we’re open to it. But there are a few things you’ll want to know first.

Using your own lumber

Can I use lumber from my own house/property?

Definitely! But the wood will need to be properly prepared before we can use it in a custom build. Freshly cut or reclaimed lumber can carry moisture, warping, or hidden movement that makes it unpredictable in a finished piece. That doesn’t mean it’s off the table—it just means there are a few steps to follow first.

Is the lumber I have right for furniture?

We primarily work with hardwoods—maple, oak, walnut, ash, cherry, and others like them—because they’re strong, stable, and built to last. While softwoods (like pine or fir) are great for certain applications, they tend to twist, warp, or dent more easily, which makes them tricky for fine furniture or cabinetry. For that reason, we generally avoid using softwoods in our builds unless there’s a specific design reason to do so.

How should I prepare my lumber?

Great question. For lumber to be usable, it needs to be fully dry, stable, and ready for fine woodworking. Here’s what that usually involves:

Stickering & Air Drying

After milling, your lumber needs to be stacked with spacers (“stickers”) between the boards to allow air to circulate. This drying process can take 6 months to 2 years, depending on the wood species and thickness.

Kiln Drying

To speed things up—and ensure consistency—kiln drying is ideal. It brings the moisture content down to around 6–8%, which is what’s needed for indoor furniture.

Time & Storage

Even kiln-dried lumber benefits from some time to acclimate indoors before use. We recommend letting it rest in a dry, heated space for a few weeks minimum.

Once your lumber is dry, we’ll also need to evaluate it for quality: checking for cracks, knots, bugs, or movement that might make it tricky to work with.

Repurposing materials

Can I use wood from an old piece of furniture?

Maybe—but we’d need to take a look first.

In theory, reusing materials from old furniture sounds like a great idea. In practice, though, it can be tough. Older pieces are often finished with unknown products (think: shellac, varnish, lead-based paint), which would need to be completely stripped. The piece also needs to be disassembled and the wood re-processed, which can be time-consuming and may not always yield usable material.

We assess this case-by-case—but just know that it’s rarely a shortcut and often adds time and cost.