Ian Ashton works in a garage cluttered with woodworking tools and finished furniture.
Every hollow space or surface was filled with oak, hickory, and other woods, and everywhere there was a thin layer of sawdust.
"It's amazing to be able to use your hands to take material and turn it into something beautiful," Ashton said.
The Humble Garage in Forest Park is by Nighthawk Design Company, LLC. Ashton and his wife Kathleen In 2019, they started a furniture and lighting business.
An engineer by trade, Ashton was introduced to carpentry at a young age in his grandfather's backyard workshop, learning tools and materials.
“It was summer and I started working with him,” Ashton recalls. You know, "Here's a hammer, a board, a nail... smash you."
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By the time he got to college, Ashton said he quit mainly because of a lack of equipment and space. He had not been a carpenter for many years. Several years ago, Ashton, who is now married, bought a dining room table that needed care.
He said I took it apart and fixed it and made it.
"He was incredibly talented, smart and hardworking," Kathleen Ashton said. "I'm so proud of him."
From there, he continued to build things and do projects around the house, until friends and family came to him with questions. In the year In 2019, he finally founded Nighthawk Design Company.
"I thought if I was going to do this, I should make it public," Ashton said.
Endurance and perseverance
Made in the mid-century Art Nouveau style and featuring solid wood construction, the pieces came out of Wisconsin, much of what Ashton calls "urban lumber," trees cut down in the city and recycled for compost or firewood. .
"City trees often tell a better story than farm trees," Ashton said.
The furniture he makes is more expensive than cheap furniture people can buy elsewhere, but he says it has to be durable and "stand the test of time" to be put to good use a century after the investment. be careful.
"My philosophy is when I make a piece and make it, I want it to survive me," Ashton said, calling them "a true family heirloom."
He also works in a wide variety of fabrics to ensure that his customers can find what suits their needs.
"I don't have to live in rags," Ashton says. "I want them to be 100% happy."
Nighthawk skin
Ashton said he named his business Nighthawk because, like him, he worked late into the night. Currently, woodworking is a part-time job, although he says he thinks about carpentry most of the time during the day.
"It's done in small steps, but it's always been my dream to do it," Ashton says.
He enjoyed the artistic aspect of carpentry, using parts of his brain that normally wouldn't work in engineering.
"The most important thing is to work with your hands," Ashton said. "It becomes a living, breathing thing."
The love of carpentry seems to be a thing of the past. Ashton said his 5-year-old daughter is a good student and can now identify different types of trees.
"It was really fun. Our oldest son came and asked," Ashton said. "As he grew up, he wanted to know more."
Ashton urged anyone interested in the job to find him. More information about his business, furniture, commissions and more can be found on his website at nighthawkdesigncompany.com.
"My goal is to continue working with local clients using local materials," says Ashton. "Whatever your design dream is, we can make it happen."
