From his Mayo Island studio, Karl Harkness works on custom hardwood creations for residential and commercial spaces. Since starting Iron Oak in 2014, Harkness has built tables and other pieces for Richmond restaurants and meeting spaces such as Laura Lee’s, The Roosevelt, Goatocado, Alewife, Vasen Brewing Co., Bar Solita and Gather. In Richmond, he has found a receptive community. “Richmond likes more cozy and woody kind of stuff,” he notes.
Harkness offers these tips to prospective clients:
Get the good stuff. As far as materials go, Harkness cannot stress enough the importance of using real hardwood. Many furniture pieces offered by big box stores are made of veneered particleboard or plywood. These kinds of pieces may go easy on your wallet, but they will not withstand the test of time. “If you get something made by us, it’s all real hardwood,” Harkness notes. “There’s no replacing real wood. Real wood adds a character and a warmth that you can’t replace with any other materials.” Harkness uses all locally sourced wood found from within 50 to 100 miles of Richmond. He also upcycles found wood, such as old barn doors.
Restorative nature of wood. A lot of people don’t realize that if a wood piece is scuffed, scraped or worn, an easy fix often exists. The finish of a quality wood piece with some wear and tear can be removed, re-sanded, then finished again.
A perfect fit. While Harkness does enjoy experimenting with new materials and designs, ultimately his work is all about making pieces that fit into a specific space. “There’s always going to be a market for custom because there’s always going to be weird sizes where things need to fit exactly.” Harkness often works with plumbers and electricians to make sure that pieces work around pipes and electrical outlets. “I’m all about functionality,” he says.
Seek assistance. Harkness knows that his area of expertise is very specific, and he wants to help customers find the piece that will work best for a space. He works closely with clients, often visiting their space many times over the span of the job and exchanging many emails in order to make sure they get exactly what they want and what they need. “We work hand in hand with homeowners and contractors to make sure that our piece of the puzzle fits perfectly,” he says. When given the specifications of a project, he shows clients 3D renderings so that they can understand his process. Once a piece is finished, he’ll be there to install it, too.
