Building like we're in a Marathon

 Most people have the ability to sprint. It might not be for a long time, but the average human could most likely run 100 meters if need be. It takes a different type of human, however, to run a marathon, which involves not only intense physical training, but a mental dedication that borders on obsession. We see wood working and custom furniture designs no differently– in an era when modern home construction is plagued with cookie cutter designs, balsa wood-esq. materials, and building crews sprinting from one project to the next, we see working with wood as our marathon. 

We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.

-Emil Zatopek, Czech runner; winner of four Olympic gold medals

If you ever get a chance to visit a home that was built in the 1920's, more than likely you will see wood craftsmanship that is absent in modern home construction– incredible wood trim that is so perfectly coped together, one couldn't slide a piece of paper in the joints;  beautiful wood mantles crowning fireplaces and inset cabinetry for fine china. You often hear people say, "they don't build'em like they used to". We strongly disagree. With an eye for detail, a passion for elegance, and an attentiveness to our clients out-of-the-box dreams, we, at Marathon Craftsmen are looking to build on the past and move custom wood furniture and craftsmanship into our children's future.

Behind the Scenes: StudioThisIs

We recently had the opportunity to design and build a custom wood bed frame for one of Chicago's best photographers– Jeremy Bustos from StudioThisIs. Typically our clients like for us to do all the hard work, but Jeremy was actually willing to pay us for an opportunity to visit our workshop here in Valpo and do all the manual labor. We took this photo of him while we were drinking lemonade.