An Interview with Sacramento hardwood furniture maker, Phillbuilt
This month, we had the pleasure of interviewing Phillbuilt, a talented furniture maker specializing in custom hardwood furniture for commercial spaces. Known for his precision craftsmanship and deep respect for traditional woodworking techniques, Phillbuilt draws inspiration from thoughtfully designed architecture and creative problem-solving at the bench.
One of his standout pieces — a set of Japanese-inspired benches — showcases traditional joinery methods like mortise and tenon construction, beautifully finished with Osmo Clear Satin, a top choice for enhancing the natural tone and grain of white oak.
From his approach to hand tool work and fine joinery to his modern design sensibility, Phillbuilt shares valuable insights into his creative process, favorite woodworking techniques, and advice for aspiring makers.
“Sometimes we need to solve a certain aesthetic problem and by exploring solutions, the solution becomes a really neat feature of the piece”
What do you specialize in?
We specialize in hardwood furniture, Mostly for commercial use.
As a woodworker, where do you get your inspiration from?
Inspiration comes from observing well designed architecture and furniture. Sometimes we need to solve a certain aesthetic problem and by exploring solutions, the solution becomes a really neat feature of the piece.
We’ve asked you to share some of your favourite furniture pieces that are finished with Osmo, can you tell us what makes them special to you?
The Japanese inspired benches was a favorite. We used traditional joinery and techniques to fabricate them.
What is your favourite Osmo product and why?
Our favourite has to be Osmo raw matte. We’ve been working with white oak a lot recently and the tone of color when finished with the raw matte is very nice.
Polyx®–OilHigh Solid is a high quality natural oil and wax based Hardwax-Oil wood finish. Polyx-Oil’s clear coat finish was developed for hardwood floors, furniture and other interior woodwork. The product can be easily applied with a cloth, brush, roller or single disc floor buffer. This diverse hardwax oil is suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, and other rooms exposed to high humidity. Safe for kids and pets, Polyx-oil is the ultimate wood finish for your next DIY project or home renovation.
What are you the most excited about this year?
Creating my own product line. We just launched our first ever design called the Cleo table which is a clean, modern take on the classic trestle table. The Cleo Table is made from solid white oak and features a sculpted base with a subtle swiggle miter detail, Traditional Mortise and tenon joinery , and a hidden pin system to lock in the stretcher.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to enter your field?
Don’t overthink it, just start and learn from your mistakes, there will be many. –
What would you like to ask our audience?
What would you build if it had nothing to do with posting content or about money?
*Go answer on instagram!
Where can people find you?
@phillbuilt – insta and http://www.phillbuilt.com
View more custom wood work from Phillbuilt in the gallery below:
ⓒ All images used in this blog post are copyrighted and provided with permission from Phillbuilt. Unauthorized use of these images without prior written authorization is strictly prohibited.