Winter has returned to ClearLake Furniture—not the season but a craftsman. Justin Winter, a skilled woodworker, spent a few months here in the ClearLake workshop while on hiatus from his college education. He left in December after helping us to make progress on the 62 dining tables we were building for the Taft School in Connecticut. Justin is a student at the Boston School of Architecture but took some time off to earn the necessary money to finish his degree.

Justin recently designed and crafted a blanket chest here. The curly maple chest has a bubinga inlay on the top and drawer. He then lined the chest with aromatic cedar. His meticulous attention to detail is evident when you look closely at the craftsmanship.

A talented designer, Justin has proven to be a valuable craftsman. And, while we’re thrilled to see him back here, we hope it will be temporary because he is absolutely on his way to being a successful architect.