The Motivation of a Builder

Up and down the interstates in Missouri and Illinois, dilapidated barns are ubiquitous. They naturally blend with their surroundings as though they’ve been there as long as the grass growing alongside them. From their frequently shabby conditions, it’s often difficult to imagine them as anything but derelict. But some time […]

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Moore to Love

Working with homeowners and designers to craft heirloom pieces makes our day, and Christy and Randy Moore and their designer Lisa Cady were no exception. Christy found Rustic Grain while researching wood sources for their redesign. Our mutual love of reclaimed wood made partnership a dream. The Moores loved visiting […]

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One for the Anglers

  You might know Rustic Grain for our reclaimed wood farmhouse tables. And we do love building them. But we’re in the custom furniture business and jump at the chance to collaborate with our clients to create unique pieces that can be passed down through the generations. Recently we completed […]

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Craftsmanship: History and Future

When looking at furniture, people often come back to the word craftsmanship, as an intrinsic value they want to see imbedded in the objects they use. In this age of mass production, where wood is shipped from the US to Asia only to be returned to us as an overly […]

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A Mix and Match Juxtaposition

“Hey, can you make a coffee table?” That’s what they asked me and off I went. I knew I wanted something that made ready use of the existing dimensions of our inventory. The idea was to make as few alterations to the wood as possible. Then there was one other […]

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Accumulated Error

One warning we’re constantly making in our shop is: “Watch out for that accumulated error!”  It is so often heard that people have started to roll their eyes.  But, as accuracy is one of the cornerstones of the woodworking process, it bears repeating.  The principle of accumulated error is well […]

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