Looking for the perfect spot to locate my business Appalachian Designs, I moved to Asheville, NC in 1993. Back then we were mostly making pine furniture and railings for log cabins. WNC was the ideal location for its beauty and creative community.  This area offers tremendous support for small businesses and was beginning to come alive to the rest of the world.

There are plentiful forests, that have been managed for generations and that contain the heartiest species which - through adaptation to this mountainous region - grow fast and strong. 

Once here, I learned about locust and rhododendron and the history of using these materials in mountain construction.  These species and a variety of other forest materials result in unique, one-of-a-kind products on each project. 

I consider myself lucky to do what I do.  Each year, this work pushes me toward some person or some cause that inspires me to do more than just make furniture.  When you are surrounded many talented people and a creative community, inspirations are always waiting around the corner.