Maker Spotlight: Acre Made
Every fabulous furniture piece starts with a great design and comes together with a talented furniture maker. It’s a true art. It takes many thoughtful steps in order to create a piece of furniture that will be adored for years to come.
I’m always on the lookout for talented companies that not only have creative designs, but make calculated decisions every step of the way to ensure an end product that is both beautiful, functional and sustainably made.
On my search, I came across Jack and Danielle, the amazing folks behind Acre Made (formerly known as Son of a Woodcutter). What initially struck me was their sustainable mission and Jack’s story of how he acquired a love of working with wood and knowledge of the trade from his father in the UK while growing up. You know how a good story always gets me! After reading about them online, I was instantly intrigued and wanted to meet with them at their shop to see first-hand where the magic happens.
I was not disappointed! They not only greeted me warmly and showed me around, they spent about an hour with me answering all my questions and delving deeper into their sustainability mission, history and philosophy.
Jack is originally from the Midlands in the UK, where he spent his youth watching and working side-by-side with his father, spending hours working with wood and using traditional tools and methods. In his 20s, Jack decided to travel around the world and he settled in Canada. After working in various odd jobs in Canada, including the financial industry, he eventually started his business ‘Son of a Woodcutter’ over 11 years ago. His entrepreneurial journey began while living in Toronto and shopping for furniture, when he noticed a complete gap in the furniture market. The problem was there were huge price tags on poorly constructed furniture, which was unsettling for him. He realized that he could make furniture of far superior quality and for less money than what was being sold. Thus began Son of a Woodcutter and his early days on selling furniture on Etsy.
After more than ten years in business, they recently rebranded to Acre Made, in order to encompass a broader mission and vision of their company. Jack’s identity is still intertwined with the name, as his last name is Fore(acre). With their shop located just outside St. Marys, Ontario, Acre Made furniture is blended with thoughtful age-old traditions and the benefits of CNC machines and current technology that help to maintain a consistent level of quality that they are known for. What stands them apart from a lot of other furniture makers is their commitment to sourcing the majority of their wood materials from Ontario. If they can’t get it in Ontario, they will purchase it from a mill in North America. All places with strong forestry management practices. From a design perspective I love their focus on functionality in furniture, rather than designing fast furniture that’s ‘on trend’. Producing furniture that will be passed on from generation to generation is at the forefront of their designs. It’s not just in how it’s made, but also how it’s designed. Can a table comfortably fit eight people without one or two of the chairs having to battle with legs? If the answer is yes, then it fits their criteria.
Their mission and vision are clear. They want to produce sustainable furniture that is enjoyed for generations while also minimizing their impact on the environment. They practice what they preach and do so with passion. Through their work and spending time with them, it shines through that they truly love what they do and are always trying to improve and evolve.
I’m excited to work with Acre Made and travel with them on their path of sustainable furniture manufacturing and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.