I was born in Ashland, Massachusetts and then moved to Westborough, where I now live with my wife and two children. I grew up surrounded by old New England architecture, and came to love the careful and appreciative workmanship and use of materials that I saw around me.
My pleasure in local old buildings and artifacts led me to become a carpenter, and then, in the early 1980s, to start specializing in antique millwork and painting. I also began to develop techniques to repair and restore all kinds of furniture. Hard-to fix stains, chips, gauges and blemishes became my specialty.