Brian Benham – Designer, Artist, Craftsman

I am a third-generation craftsman who grew up in the perfect neighborhood to learn about woodworking. On the corner was Jeff, a custom cabinet maker. Next door was Mark, who built beautiful clocks and anything else he could dream up — and of course, there was my father, a carpenter by trade. From an early age, I got a taste of the trades and learned by watching these men work their craft.

It didn’t take long for me to get hooked on making things. As a kid, I couldn’t have cared less about Saturday morning cartoons, but I rarely missed an episode of This Old House, Norm Abram’s The New Yankee Workshop, or Roy Underhill’s The Woodwright’s Shop. I watched and learned, soaking up their knowledge like a sponge.

At 13, I got a summer job at a fabrication shop for Hamilton Construction as the cleanup kid. My work ethic earned me the respect of the old, grizzled welders, who took the time to teach me how to read plans, lay out a project, and develop the skills needed to build just about anything from steel to wood. I worked there most summers between school years and full-time after graduating.

I moved on to cut my teeth in sales, selling a variety of building materials with a specialization in floor coverings. With my construction background and newly developed sales skills, I was able to transition into project management for a remodeling company. For the better part of a decade, I designed and managed a variety of remodel and new construction projects, ranging from residential to commercial spaces. Then, in 2008, the housing crisis hit, and it wasn’t long before the construction company I worked for filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The owner was simply too overextended to weather the financial storm.

Through all of those years, I never lost my passion for building things. You would often find me in my shop working late into the evening and on weekends, bringing my latest designs to life. It was that passion and love for the craft that propelled me into starting my own furniture business. By 2010, I had turned my passion for designing and building custom furniture into a full-time business.

Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the top interior designers in Colorado, collaborating on furniture designs for their spaces. Through working with such high-end clients, I’ve had the chance to meet other master craftspeople, exchanging knowledge and techniques as I continue the journey of mastering the art of designing and building furniture.

I continue today to push my skills by exploring new techniques, new materials, and more complex designs. Some call me a master craftsman, but in my view, the journey toward mastering a craft never truly ends. There is always more to learn, and always more things to dream up and build.