Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brian Grasela. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Brian, thanks for joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
Well like most business’s i started off in a garage. The first customer i got was from posting wood that was for sale on Craigslist. The customer came by to buy the material and then asked if I built furniture, which I did and away I went.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Well my name is Brian Grasela and I own and operate Made Lumber Supply which sells domestic live edge slabs and is attached to our custom furniture shop. Being that we do sell live edge our projects aren’t limited to this style. On a personal level I like to focus on my abstract and sculptural work, letting the wood show me the lines. Each project is very different but my favorite thing to build are coffee tables. They don’t have to be terribly functional so they lend themselves to abstraction. We have two types of clients, the ones who just need a piece for a home remodel (mantle, bar top, counter, etc) and the others who want a custom piece of furniture. Though the homes projects are fun in there own right, the custom pieces are the ones that really push the creativity in my mind

Have you ever had to pivot?
I pivotal moment in my career was when the first spec piece was purchased by a client for her new home. She said she was searching for something abstract and original and couldn’t find it til now…. Just loved hearing that. The best part was one piece led to another to another and before you knew it we did 5 pieces for her house. The house was designed by Rudolph Schindler and the pieces had to be constructed from old growth redwood, which is one of my favorite woods to work with. It just felt really special to be a part of a architectural gem that sat on the beach in La Jolla.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Word of mouth. And social media. We don’t market and really never have so we love that people spread the word

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.madelumber.com and www.briangrasela.com
• Instagram: @madelumber.
• Other: We only have Instagram

Image Credits
Chris park photography