William
Evans Furniture is located in Waldoboro, Maine, overlooking
the Medomak River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean a few
miles downstream. Bill welcomes visitors to both his showroom
and his shop. If you’d like an in-person tour, just let
him know when you’d like to come.
The showroom
is open by chance or appointment. It’s a good idea to
call ahead first.
“Hand-picking
the materials is the only way that makes sense to me,” says
Bill. “For a cabinet-maker to accept the luck of the draw
would be like a chef trying to make a delicacy from whatever the
food wholesaler leaves at the door.”
Bill insists on “French-polishing,”
a centuries-old method of hand-rubbing thin layers of shellac
into the wood…over and over and over again.
If you’re coming for a visit, a dog biscuit or two will
get you special treatment.
Bill’s sister Betsy Evans is a master finisher, and his
apprentice Tyler Vroman is an extremely talented woodworker. Beyond
that, they’re just really neat people.
