The miscellaneous creations of Kinderling Wood are invented and built by Mike Hennessy in his workshop in Syracuse, New York.

    Part wood worker, part inventor,  Mike is the kind of person who can take a tiny acorn of an idea and grow it into a towering oak of a design...  which he will then cut down, mill into boards, dry for several weeks, and build into a beautiful bench.

    Born in a log cabin he built himself, Mike honed his woodworking skills under the guise of a classically trained composer. (Truth is, there really isn't much difference between a saxophone and a table saw.)  Mike began as a hobbyist, making furniture for his own house and making toys for his wife's nieces and nephews. After spending several years as an unemployed freelance composer (and a stint as a secretary, daycare worker, teacher's aide, baseball umpire, stay at home dad, and janitor) Mike finally decided to follow his real dream of making money by making stuff out of wood.  

    Mike started Kinderling Wood in 2012 with a focus on making toys and toy boxes to sell at craft shows.  However, people soon began approaching Mike and asking him to build exactly that piece of furniture they'd always wanted but never been able to find in a store.  He loved putting his creativity and his power tools to work for other people, and as his reputation and web presence have grown over the years, the business has shifted to nearly 100% commission work. 

    Mike's favorite part of his job is the challenge of taking a customer's vision and figuring out how to make it work in reality. 

    Here's one review from a previous customer:

"We are so glad to have worked with Mike on our custom project! We were in the market for a King size bed and had looked at several furniture stores, when we finally decided to go the custom route. Mike is the ideal person to work with if you are like us and have an idea of what you want but feel a bit overwhelmed bringing your idea to life. We knew nothing about woodworking, wood types, etc but Mike made sure to explain these concepts and provide us with sketches, diagrams, etc. He listened to our feedback along the way to provide us with a stunning finished product that is beautiful and customized to our needs. On top of all this, he made arrangements for a smooth delivery and assembly that was flexible with our schedule. We highly recommend Mike for a custom project and it would be a pleasure to work with him again."

    You can read reviews from other customers at CustomMade.com or etsy.com.