Burch brothers go with grain
By Kim Bucknell Williams | union west Correspondent | Waxhaw
The unassuming workshop of Burch Heirloom is deceiving. Inside its gray walls, there is custom made woodwork being created by brothers Marcus and Josh Burch.
As fourth-generation furniture makers, the brothers continue the tradition, which began with their great-great uncle at the turn of the century.
“Everyone in our family made their own furniture,” Marcus Burch said.
“We’ve made everything from sticks to baseball bats as kids,” he added. “I didn’t realize how much I learned just by being around it.”
The workshop is full of various types of wood, a scrap pile, tools and furniture in the making.
They built the workshop with a walnut floor in the office area. The door trim in the office is walnut, a naturally dark wood. Rustic-looking shelves from wood found in a tobacco barn hang on the walls.
A large saw blade, also found in a tobacco barn, hangs on the back wall of the workshop. -
“We’ll use all the tools you see in here,” said Burch pointing to wood clamps hanging in a row.
The tools and skill of the Burch brothers can be seen in the variety of furniture they design.
“This is kind of a fancy bill box,” Burch said showing the features of a wooden box he made.
The box, made of walnut and fiddleback maple woods and carefully constructed with dovetails, had been contracted for Christmas. Mother of pearl buttons decorated its top.
The shape of the box resembled a mahogany humidor he made and lined with Spanish cedar.
According to Burch, Spanish cedar is supposed to enhance the flavor of cigars.
He only makes two to three humidors a year; but makes a lot of the bill boxes.
Ninety percent of the business at Burch Heirloom stems from referrals. The other 10 percent comes from their Web site.
The Web site has created interest across the United States. When speaking with clients, Burch said he tries to find out what they don’t like.
From there he makes suggestions on the type of wood and finishes.
“When people choose wood, they should choose it based on the grain, not the colon” Burch said.
In a portfolio, he points out many different types of wood. There is a conference table made of mahogany with inlaid maple wood and a naturally light-colored cherry bench which will darken over time.
To select the better wood, Burch said he culls through it.
A French armoire, made of walnut, stands in the workshop. The customer had to wait four months for it to be completed because hinges had to be ordered from France.
Burch showed the detail in his design with the front panels and grooves in the back so that the wood has a natural tit.
In the past, the Burch brothers have made fireplace mantels, dressers and kitchen cabinets.
According to Burch, a popular type of furniture now is mission style, started by Gustav Stickley in 1904.
“There’s a time period in the early 1900s that this style was popular A simple furniture, not simple to make, but simple to look at,” Burch said.
He uses chestnut in designing mission-style furniture, maintaining an authentic approach — chestnut was the most available at the turn of the century.
Burch Heirloom plans a signature series in the future, which will reflect the brothers’ favorite wooden creations.
- Kim Becknell Williams is a freelance writer in the Hemby Bridge area.
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