When Sarah and I purchased our home, we didn't just want a contractor; we wanted a craftsman to bring the bones of this house back to life. According to Matthew Crawford, "Craftsmanship means dwelling on a task for a long time and going deeply into it, because you want to get it right." Going deeply into it; that's a way that takes time and costs us.
Shortly after moving in, we received a recommendation to hire Ty Putnam, owner of Forged of Wood, to do the work we needed. After working with him for a year, Ty is undoubtedly one of the best craftsmen I've had the opportunity to befriend and work alongside. Ty doesn't just build, he seems to have a relationship with the materials he uses. He has a sole connection to them and can hear what it wants to become; to quote Crawford again, he "goes deep into it." Like a good craftsman, Ty does more than listen to his client's words, he hears beyond the limitations of his client's ability to articulate his desires and finds the heart of what we want. He listens to the material, and he brings his own voice and vision to the process. Then as a good craftsman does, he brings to life something beyond what you imagined. As the recipient, you stand speechless, because you know the piece he crafted is better than the picture you painted.
Matthew Hansen: Furniture, concrete countertop customer.