I grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, in a creative family of builders and artists. I always admired my grandfather, a blacksmith and carpenter who built his own home and most of the furniture inside. His blacksmith shop is now part of a Nova Scotia Museum; it’s called the Morley Blacksmith Shop. I have fond memories of being mesmerized by his skills with wood when I was little. I always wanted to create beautiful and functional objects like he did. At age 4, I was making small paintings on scraps of wood. When I was 10, my Dad bought me a mini kids lathe from Canadian Tire. You could say I have been a maker all of my life.

Fast forward to high school, where fate played a role. I was enrolled in what I thought was a photography course but I soon realized it was actually a woodshop course. My teacher, Mr. Shaw, dazzled us with his skills and I learned so much from him. It was during those incredible technological design classes that I realized I was destined to make woodworking my career.

I am so glad I did. Being a woodworker is a thrilling way to spend your life. Every time I reach for my tools, I am excited to design and build something new. Something that I create from my imagination comes to life.

As a female woodworker, I hope to inspire young people to take woodworking courses, especially young girls, so they too can discover just how exciting it is to create with wood. “Empowerment through power tools,” is what I always say. I also think of the woodshop as a wellness space. Making things is a great way to focus on the positive: When I build, I am actively solving things, focusing on functionality and finesse. I hope to someday teach a woodworking course for women and girls. My own teachers and professors have always been inspiring to me, and I hope to empower others to get out there and build.

I received my Diploma in Furniture Design at Sheridan College and won the Mayor’s Award when I graduated, for which I am grateful. That award launched my professional career. My Mom was an artist, and she passed away around that time. To pay tribute to her, I built a lot of pieces with an Art Nouveau style, as she often made art in a clean, elegant style. My artistic side also means I enjoy working with reclaimed materials, though not all client work calls for it. The Discovery Channel invited me to be their expert furniture maker on the television show “Junk Raiders 3.” On that show, I transformed reclaimed materials into fine furniture for one of Toronto’s best restaurants. Sustainability is important to me and using reclaimed materials allows for added creative opportunities. Sometimes limitations can inspire the most innovative solutions in design.

One of my happiest memories as a woodworker was being featured in Curve-iture, a travelling exhibition organized by the National Furniture Society in the US. The exhibition toured several states, with its inaugural launch at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Shipping my massive “Curved Bench” to Georgia was quite an undertaking because it is over six-feet long, but being there with my work was a huge moment, connecting me to the international community. I had hundreds of people comment on the power of my “Curved Bench.” I had to curve it with total precision and also give it an effortless look. Getting rave reviews on it was the highlight of my year. I am grateful to have experienced that.

My company is called “Her Rough Hands” and it has been around for almost 20 years. The focus is on fine furniture, custom built-ins, and personalized objects for clients. These smaller items include charcuterie boards, wine holders, wedding gifts, and mementos to honour loved ones. I love connecting with clients to learn what they want their home to look like. A few years ago, I moved my woodshop from offsite to its new location: my home. This allows me to show clients my work as it would be experienced within an actual domestic space. I find clients get a better picture of what I can do for them when they walk the stairs I have created or see the rooms I have built for myself. What is interesting to me is that, when I think back to the childhood version of myself, I realize I have done what my grandfather did. My hands have literally built my own home and, with every new object I make, I pay homage to my heroes.

Lara will be hosting a number of our FREE WEBINAR throughout the coming months.

Learn more about our FREE WEBINARS

Follow Lara on Facebook

Follow Lara on Instagram