The First Draft was the first piece of furniture I ever built.

In 2016, I had a beautiful townhome, a career I was proud of, and finally enough room to create a real home office. What I couldn't find was a desk I actually wanted to buy. The prices were high, the quality was low, and I couldn't understand why I should spend that much money on something that wasn't even real wood.

So I found a set of plans and built it myself. I followed a set of plans, mostly. Even on my first build, apparently I couldn't leave well enough alone. I enlarged the desktop so it would overhang the base on every side because I wanted the whole thing to feel more like a substantial executive desk. Then, knowing approximately nothing about furniture finishing at the time, I decided that giant stained top should be sealed in epoxy for durability. There was a mid-pour phone-a-friend situation. There may still be a bubble or two documenting the experience. But it worked.

I deliberately left the massive top piece separate from the base because I've moved a lot in my life, and furniture that can come apart is furniture you can actually take with you. Mine has traveled from Wisconsin to Southern Illinois, Tennessee and Northern Illinois, and after all those years, moves and countless hours of actual work, I'm still using it. I've learned a hell of a lot about woodworking in the ten years since I built that desk. I'd do some things differently today. But I'd still build it out of real wood.

Made to order. Built for life.