Meet the fabulous Miss Scotch, shopgirl extraordinaire, who's living in Hawaii as an apprentice woodworker learning to build custom furniture. In part one of our interview, Miss Scotch shares with us what it's like to be a female woodworker in a predominately male industry, and how she utilizes her blog and her online Etsy shop to promote and sell her custom made furniture...
Name: Miss Scotch
Birthday: December 12, 1979
Favorite Drink: Coconut milk from the palm trees in my front yard; Oban scotch, a close second
Favorite Food: Uni with quail egg (sushi)
What does the typical day in the life of a Shopgirl look like?
I am a very regimented person that thrives on routine. My life right now is not unlike the life of a monk or ascetic. My average day is this: wake up at sunrise, drink one cup of coffee, do push-ups and sit-ups followed by yoga. Meditate. Drink one cup green tea. Build furniture until my arms are rendered useless (usually around 3 or 4 in the afternoon). Shower. Read about the construction/drafting/history of furniture. Blog. Sleep.
Not very exciting, I know...but it feels right. I sense this dedication will pay off eventually and I can't say I really miss the hard-partying lifestyle I left behind in San Francisco.
What exactly is it that you do? What type of furniture do you make?
I am an apprentice woodworker learning to build custom furniture under Frank Chase, a master woodworker, in his one-man studio: Chase Designs. Our clientèle consists mainly of wealthy retired or semi-retired people with second homes in Hawaii. We cater to their exact specifications.
For example, we built a series of couches for a client who's home has no straight lines. The couches were custom made to mimic the exact curvature of his walls. They were extremely expensive and cannot be resold, I should add. We use island woods, but mostly koa and build just about everything you can imagine from scratch - desks, tables, chairs, couches, bookshelves, benches, trophy cases, etc.
Tell us about your Etsy shop? What makes you different than all the rest?
My shop consists mainly of small, high-quality, crafty items like cutting boards, sushi boards, chopsticks and koa boxes. Gifty stuff. There isn't really an appropriate venue to sell custom furniture online, probably because most people want to be able to look at and touch a $5,000 table before they buy it (I'm only guessing here).
My shop is very different from your traditional Etsy store - mainly because there is very little woodworking represented on that site, period. It makes me feel special to have a unique craft, especially amongst such talented & unique artists! I love Etsy! I wish I could afford to buy more things on there! (Not that it's expensive, I'm just broke.)
How does being a woman effect your business?
So far it has been overwhelmingly positive. For example, there is only one wood supplier on my side of the island and I'd wager I'm the only female that has ever entered his store. He gives me good deals and has been very supportive of my work. All the woodworkers I've met are encouraging, as well. Plus, I feel like I'm already kind-of special by virtue of being female in a male-dominated field - it makes me stand out.
However, it's a shame there aren't more women in the trade - there are many out there with innate abilities; it's a craft that really isn't about brute strength, as much as knowing when to apply the right amount of pressure. It requires elegance & finesse. If you try to overpower wood, it will fight back. Men often get frustrated, but I think women tend to be more patient/tenacious. Also, it's important to stay humble.
Do you know any other women in your industry?
I have met one other woman who builds furniture and we fell in love! She lives in the middle of nowhere, in the woods, with no running water or plumbing - she is completely feral and one of my favorite humans on the planet. I really wish I could be more like her, but at heart, I'm still kind-of a girly girl. I mean, I still shave my legs for christsake!
What’s your favorite piece of furniture you’ve made?
I recently made a coffee table from a piece of driftwood that I found after walking miles down a remote coastline, which fits perfectly into the crook of a lava rock base, finished with a milo top. Milo is a tree that grows next to the ocean and thrives off of salt water. All of the design elements were chosen to honor & replicate the part of the Hawaiian coastline where the table was conceived. It is a very organic piece - very raw and natural, but at the same time highly polished, sturdy, and technically sound.
I love it because it has very graceful lines and I find myself drawn into a semi-meditative state when I look at it (just like watching the ocean). It is truly a one-of-a-kind piece that can never be recreated. Whomever gets it will be awfully lucky. I wish I could afford to keep it myself.
What's your guilty pleasure:
Sometimes I like to watch inspirational women in movies then emulate their actions, for example, lift weights while watching Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 or, more embarrassingly, do push-ups & sit-ups while watching Blue Crush, and then go surfing. (I can't believe I just told you that!!!)
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
Frank Chase and George Nakashima. Frank is a genius and the best, most technically proficient woodworker I have ever met. George Nakashima was a furniture-maker that allowed wood to be wood. He created a lot of organic, natural-edged pieces, with elegant, highly polished accents. His vision is more closely aligned to what I hope to achieve with my own work. I want to be respectful of wood's natural beauty by highlighting it & juxtaposing it with hand-crafted, refined details.
Come back tomorrow for Part Two of our interview with Miss.Scotch!
Visit Miss Scotch's Etsy shop to purchase her custom made furniture and woodworkings, or email her at: MissScotch@gmail.com