Graser Woodworks, Inc. Company Profile

t's true that Steve Graser's first job after college was perhaps an unlikely choice for an art major; he took a job in the proposal planning department at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft. It was an expedient decision, but a fortuitous one as well, for once there, an opening in the woodshop (where the McDonnell Douglas engineers had mock-ups built) caught the artist's eye and he got into the woodworking trade. He found that he loved the work. It wasn't long before he decided to pursue the trade outside of aeronautical mock-ups.

Steve found a master carpenter and furniture maker with whom he could apprentice. While expanding his skill set, he learned about running a business. After some time in the partnership, it was time to strike out on his own. Steve relocated to Northern California with his wife, and founded Graser Woodworks in Menlo Park. That was in 1986, and Steve Graser has been building fine, custom cabinets ever since.

The Beauty of Perfectionism
Steve Graser is a one-man show. He does all the design consultation, measuring, drawing and fabrication for his projects. "I'm a perfectionist," he admitted. Steve said he'd had as many as eleven employees working for him in the past, but he prefers to work on his own, and his clients have been consistently thrilled with it as well. In fact, clients are Graser Woodwork's best form of advertising. All his business has been from word-of-mouth.

Steve Graser says that he loves the challenge of a woodworking project that presents unusual problems. "Nothing is actually a problem; it's more like a puzzle," he said, and no puzzle has proven un-solvable yet. He recalls a tricky piece of office furniture for a lobby/reception desk. "It was an extremely precise piece, requiring a countertop that appeared to be three inches thick, joining a leg three inches thick, with finger joints," Steve recalled with relish. He denied that it had been difficult, insisting that it was a great opportunity to do what he loves: solving a challenge. Steve says that each job is a thrill because if its unique circumstances. There is no particular style that he likes most: "Variety is the best part." Even so, no job is too small or too simple.

Renaissance Man for Hire
In addition to the technical perfection that Steve Graser brings to his work at Graser Woodworks, he has a well-developed eye for beauty. In his other passion, nature photography, he borrows from the woodworking expertise he hones every day. Steve has been photographing butterflies, moths and other natural beauties, for years. When he began to see the colors and patterns of the insects' beautiful, delicate wings in the grain of exotic wood, it was easy to put them together. On Steve's website (beautyofnature.net) you can see gorgeous examples of the exotic wood frames he makes, each carefully designed to showcase and compliment the insect.

Finally, as if this Renaissance man didn't have enough to keep his many artistic talents fully juiced, he restores antique pianos! This is a relatively new endeavor for Steve. "It's wood and mechanics and music, all together," he said when asked what drew him to that niche "It's an amazing combination of things that I enjoy!"

                                                                   ---Genevieve Albers
                                                                    Staff Writer
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