Karl Harkness of Iron Oak creates custom furniture. (Photo by Ash Daniel)
For as long as he can remember, Karl Harkness — owner of custom furniture fabrication shop Iron Oak in Shockoe Slip — has built things with his hands. As a child, his favorite hobby was disassembling objects and putting them back together. This passion never faded, even while he attended business school at Virginia Commonwealth University. Six years ago, he began making furniture and as more customers requested custom jobs, he decided to open Iron Oak in 2014 to meet the demand.
Harkness describes his business as complete turnkey service — he and his team work collaboratively with each customer to understand his or her vision for the piece and figure out a way to bring it to life.
“We plan for the functionality of the piece first — we’ll add adjustable feet or put plugs in the top if need be — and help the designer or homeowner make it perfect for the space,” he says. “We want to make something that will last forever and serve the space well.”
Iron Oak specializes in creating statement pieces, such as dining room tables and bar cabinets, using locally sourced, reclaimed wood and metal. The team works in both the residential and commercial sectors. Some of their work includes the clothing display units and cash register desk for new Scott’s Addition men’s clothing store Jackson & James; picnic tables for the back patio of Gelati Celesti Ice Cream on Boulevard; and barstools for an upcoming brewery in Scott’s Addition.
Harkness says one of the many benefits of being local is that Iron Oak is committed to maintaining each piece for life: “If you have an issue down the road and you need us to change something, or if you just want us to refinish it, we’ll do that,” he says. “We back you up on the product for years to come.”
