The wood used to create this piece was crafted from salvaged Pine floor joists taken from a local school stage that had been torn down and discarded.  To achieve the “butcher block” styling Matt had to cut and taper the ends and hand sand the pieces for 2 weeks to create its beautiful design.

This wood cut-off bench is located and appreciated every day in the heart of downtown York on N Beaver St near the Beaver St/Market St intersection.

While not 100% traditional, it’s easy to see the Asian influence in the cabinet and Tansu step chest. All of the door fixtures were specially imported from China to stay loyal to the cultural theme. The wood, black walnut, is one of the more coveted types for furniture use. The particular lumber used in this piece is just over twenty-five years old; Matt is proud of the fact that he got it from an “old man who has been doing this for longer than we’ve been alive.”

Torii are traditionally made from wood or stone and are an elegant way to mark the transition from the outside world into your serene backyard sanctuary.

The function of a torii is to mark the entrance to a sacred space. For this reason, the road leading to a Shinto shrine (sandō) is almost always straddled by one or more torii, which are therefore the easiest way to distinguish a shrine from a Buddhist temple. If the sandō passes under multiple torii, the outer of them is called ichi no torii (一の鳥居^?, first torii). The following ones, closer to the shrine, are usually called, in order, ni no torii (二の鳥居^?, second torii) and san no torii (三の鳥居^?, third torii). Other torii can be found further into the shrine to represent increasing levels of holiness as one nears the inner sanctuary (honden), core of the shrine. Also, because of the strong relationship between Shinto shrines and the Japanese Imperial family, a torii stands also in front of the tombs of each Emperor.

Every part of this patio, from the patio layout to the beautiful accent lights, was designed and hand crafted by Matt Shober.

* Photography courtesy of K M Photography