Examiner article!

Adam Rung Woodworks was recently interviewed for an article on Examiner.com. You can view what we had to say here or simply continue reading. Many thanks to Bettie St. Ours!

--

"A third generation woodworker who transforms wood into amazing beauty."

Meet Adam Rung of Adam Rung Woodworks, LLC; an amazing artisan who creates the most beautiful furniture ever.

What do you like the most about your craft?

My craft is about connecting with nature. Wood is a wonderful, organic material. It is always different and always changing - just like nature. I appreciate the diversity in every piece that passes through my hands. In our modern society we have lost our connection to the natural world. Working with wood reminds me on a daily basis that we forget our roots, and it’s at our peril.

What’s your process for designing and creating a new piece?

I, of course, begin with the practical needs of my clients. My designs have always been functional first with aesthetics following suit. I take cues from the natural world as well as established styles throughout history. Traditional woodworking techniques enable me to shape and caress a piece of wood to realize its final potential.

I believe that we as a society have lost our appreciation for hand work and the amount of time involved in the creation of things. Most of us look for the lowest prices and the best deals which usually don’t reflect the true cost of everything that goes into making a product. Most things on our store shelves were made by exploiting natural resources and the workers who made them. At the end of their usefulness they are discarded.

I take strides to ensure that my work is reflective of the efforts and resources that go into it, and to ensure that is it produced in an environmentally and socially conscious manner.

What’s unique about your business? What sets it apart from similar businesses?

I view my business model differently than those of other businesses. I look at the impact of every decision, both negative and positive and how it affects our natural world, local community, and my employees’ quality of life.

In regards to our materials and products, we make every effort to ensure that the products we create are fabricated with the utmost concern for the environment; the goal being that throughout the life of the product it has little or no negative effects on its environs and at the end of its life it can be biodegraded or up-cycled into new materials.

Our relationship with our community is of utmost importance to me. I have frequently donated our work to fundraising events that have benefited local arts organizations, food banks, and community groups. We are currently in the process of developing a training program to teach woodworking to people in need of a skilled trade.

Finally, I believe that a happy employee is the single best tool that a business can have. A good work environment enables a worker to be more productive and care about the progress of the company. If you look at a company as a team everyone becomes vested in a successful outcome. By paying a living wage you give people the ability to provide for themselves and their families and the respect that we all deserve.

What do you do for fun when you aren't woodworking?

I also enjoy designing and creating small scale gardens and landscapes for myself and others. Much of my skills in woodworking can translate to garden design. The aesthetic eye that I use in designing furniture also applies to the planning and layouts of outdoor spaces. Working in the garden also helps me to become more in sync with the earth and its ecosystems. Those connections alternatively influence my woodworking.

What do you find is the biggest benefit to running your own woodworking shop?

Woodworking is both my craft and my passion. Owning my own shop not only allows me to use my skills as a means of sustaining myself, but it also enables me to put my ideals into practice. The way I interact with customers, how I treat my employees, and the manner in which I run my shop are reflective of my personal philosophies and principle concerns – those mainly being concerns for others and the environment. I am able to use my business as a platform to encourage others to gain a greater understanding of the world and the people around us and to use that understanding to promote positive actions and decisions. In short, I am able to do what I love, support positive thinking and development, and create things of beauty and usefulness."