Thijs's benches

Thijs's benches
Originally uploaded by lynnikins.

These are benches made by Mom and Paul's friend Thijs (I'm probably spelling his Dutch name wrong)for our friends Kathryn and Ted. Thijs learned woodworking in his native Holland, starting at an early age and studying intensely as part of a 7-year apprenticeship. He creates furniture that will last for 200 years. The bench pictured here is made of teak; if you look at it more closely you can see the beautiful variations in the grain. I should have taken a picture of the beautiful bed he made for Mom and Paul. Rachel spent an afternoon with Thijs in his wood shop, working on the lathe.