Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Godet

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

Sure, I covered my early journey in our previous discussion. But picking up from where we left off there, I started making furniture professionally around 2010. Almost immediately, I started planning to take my hobby to a full-time profession. I achieved that in 2021, but really, for about 6-7 years prior to that, I was making furniture full-time while holding an office job full-time as well. To make that transition, my wife and I saved a lot of money and reduced expenses. We don’t have children. We paid down our mortgage and essentially reinforced our financial safety net so we could take the financial risk. Simultaneously, I was building out my tooling and workspace. My first space was a corner of our basement, about 15′ X 9′–far from ideal. Eventually, I ran electricity out to the garage and adding heating and cooling and moved the space out there.

During the pandemic, I worked with a friend to build out a restaurant. I found myself applying finish to banquets in my living room and it was clear that I had outgrown my workspace. At that point, I joined the co-op where I work today. having a large workspace makes a lot of things possible that otherwise would be inaccessible to me

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Anyone who has done it will tell you that making custom hardwood furniture is not a way to get rich. In fact, handcraft of any kind is difficult. You’re earning money with your hands. If you’re not working, you’re not making money. That being said, I’ve been fortunate: I have had a steady stream of clients and the woodworking community, but locally and online is a generous group and we all help each other out.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I specialize in making custom hardwood furniture. I primarily focus on residential needs. Early on I did a lot of commercial work but as I’ve gotten older, the grind of bigger pieces on tight timelines is just not how I want to live.

I tend to blend traditional techniques with modern aesthetics. I like to hand cut dovetail joints for cases, but I’ll add color to a natural wood piece.

Locally, I’m also known for providing one-on-one woodworking lessons.

I take immense pride in my work and aim to make things as perfectly as possible. While making something really well is a good feeling, I think I’m most proud of my students’ work. Meeting someone who has never worked with tools and taking them on a journey to make their own furniture is really satisfying. In both teaching and commission work, I love that I am making connections with new people who become friends.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?

Curiously, for my field, Covid-19 led to more interest in custom woodworking. So many workplaces have gone to a hybrid or all remote policy which means more people are spending time at home and thinking of ways to make their places more comfortable. Additionally, some people need a home office or a way to work from home comfortably. Custom woodwork is a great way to do that.

On the teaching side, I think a lot of people found they needed to work with their hands during the pandemic. There has been a huge surge in interest in this field.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://godetfurniture.com
• Instagram: godet_woodworking

Image Credits
I took all of these photos