Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Swanson and Shelley Swanson.
Matt and Shelley, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
BirchBarn Designs was started by Matt Swanson in 2013. Matt is a creative, DIY kind-of-guy, with a passion for slow-smoked BBQ and craft beer. In 2013, after buying his first planer, Matt built a colorful cutting board to show off his BBQ feasts. That first board was a hit among friends and family, inspiring Matt to build other cutting boards and wood creations. Today, our product line includes wood cutting and serving boards, beer and wine carriers, bottle openers, tasting flights, home décor and more.
BirchBarn Designs is an artisan woodshop on the South Shore of Boston. Each piece of wood is hand-selected at the lumberyard, and then planed, cut, glued and sanded to fit our product designs. While the finished pieces are beautiful on their own, we also offer personal engraving on all of our products. Customers can add a monogram, last name, date or custom logo to any order.
In December 2017, BirchBarn Designs opened a new workshop in the Greenbush neighborhood of Scituate. We have a large workshop and retail store open to the public, and we encourage folks to swing by for last minute gifts or to discuss a custom piece. Our shop is open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm or evenings/weekends by appointment.
P.S – that first cutting board, named The Original, is still a customer favorite today!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
This has been a fun and fortunate ride, but boy have we had some challenges along the way! Our biggest challenge was space constraint. The business was started in a barn-style garage next to these beautiful birch trees at our house (hence the name “BirchBarn Designs”). This space was perfect for designing and creating artisan pieces, but we quickly outgrew the 300 sq. ft. workshop. We needed a larger workshop, but it had to be in Scituate. We wanted BirchBarn Designs to remain a part of the local town and community.
While we searched for a larger shop in Scituate, Matt got creative in his 300 sq. ft. workshop. Learning to work as efficiently as possible was ultimately what saved our business (and sanity). Whether he was cutting and gluing up wood pieces, or sanding and shipping products, Matt would plan weeks in advance to only perform one-two tasks per day. This planning increased his efficiency, by not having to switch tasks during the day. And thanks to this experience, we are still masters at efficiency in a much larger workshop.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with BirchBarn Designs – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
BirchBarn Designs is a custom woodshop specializing in small batch, artisan pieces that are both functional and beautiful. From cutting and serving boards to beer caddies and outdoor games, we design a wide range of products for the home. And we keep a regular inventory of each product, so customers can count on their “go-to gifts” anytime. We also offer custom engraving (names, dates, logos, etc.) on everything we make. Customers enjoy designing unique and personal gifts for all occasions.
And, as an artisan woodshop, we highly value creativity and innovation. We believe it is important to continually raise the bar, finding new ways to improve our products and services. Every year, we release a new “Limited Edition Beer Caddy”, featuring a unique combination of exotic woods. The pattern changes every year, and the caddies are numbered to represent the exclusive collection.
But our coolest and craziest innovation has to be our River Rock Farm cutting board. One side of the board is smooth for everyday chopping, while the other side features an exclusive pattern of ridges and grooves. These crazy grooves allow sliced meat {think slow smoked brisket and pork} to rest in its savory juices, rather than separating into an exterior juice groove. This cutting board is a customer-favorite and was named after our friends at River Rock Farm, an all-natural grass-fed beef farm in Brimfield, MA.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are thrilled to announce that BirchBarn Designs recently hired its first employee, Chris Sylvester. With Chris on the team, we will be able to ramp up production of our regular product line, while also taking on custom projects like wood countertops and tabletops.
Looking ahead to 2019, we would love to offer hands-on workshops for both adults and kids. Our vision is to create an opportunity for South Shore residents to network together and experience woodworking in a fun and engaging environment.
Pricing:
- Chop: $45-300+
- Serve: $30-75+
- Drink: $20-200+
- Live: $20-300+
- Each product has a range of “add-on” options, giving customers the flexibility to build a custom piece based on their individual budget.
Contact Info:
- Address: 13 Ford Place, Unit #5
Scituate, MA 02066 - Website: www.birchbarndesigns.com
- Phone: 7819230739
- Email: shelley@birchbarndesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birchbarndesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BirchBarnDesigns/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BirchBarnDesign
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
