Oren B. Helbok Woodworking

Working in my own one-man shop, feeling wood change shape and become a beautiful, useful object in my hands, I have found a vocation that suits me well: From initial conception through design, construction, finishing and even marketing my creations, I answer only to you my customers and myself—a luxury I appreciate ever more as time goes on.

After studying architecture in college, my interest in wood led me through carpentry to cabinetry and furniture making as professions. By good fortune I came to live in northeastern Pennsylvania in the midst of the great hardwood forests.

Locally-grown trees provide most of my raw materials—some of the most beautiful wood found anywhere. Strong-grained ash; cherry, with its lovely color which grows deeper and more elegant over time; spectacularly figured curly maple—the different woods become acquaintances, each with its own personality. Each one deserves to express itself undisguised. I avoid dyes and stains, using hand rubbed oil and varnish finishes almost exclusively.

For inspiration, I look to favorite architects of the past who also designed furniture—Frank Lloyd Wright, the Greene brothers of California, and the Scotsman Charles Rennie Mackintosh in particular. Just as they did, I try to design furniture that works well and makes the most of the inherent character of the wood.

When I work with a commissioning client or another artist, the ultimate design depends on everyone's contributions. In fact, a collaboration often stimulates my thoughts to move in new directions, making the piece the better for it. The wood and tile furniture designs that I have created with my wife Sara certainly look like nothing I have done before. The designs arise out of the swirls and swoops of Sara's carved tiles, pulling me away from the rectilinearity that I otherwise embrace.