About

About Straw & Co

Fine Woodwork by Straw & Co. Gainesville Florida

900 S.E. 5th St, GAINESVILLE, FL 32601 | Phone: 352.371.3571 | Contact Us

Straw & Co

After years of specializing in historic home remodeling, I found myself becoming interested in more sensitive work. In my pursuits, I was able to apprentice with an art deco furniture designer and builder, Jeff Newell, in Denver, CO. Then, I was accepted into the Fine Woodworking program at the College of the Redwoods, the school James Krenov founded. I spent two very intense years in school, including multiple workshops, shows, competitions, and a summer working with Brian Newell (no relation with Jeff). Now, I am back in Florida, working with the sensitive eyes and hands of a furniture maker… Jason Straw

Commissioning Custom Woodwork

Interested in commissioning a single piece of furniture or an entire kitchen remodel? The first step is to give me a call & make an appointment to come by the shop & see my work in person. I always have something to show & talk about. At this initial appointment, you will see many styles, samples of wood species & finishes. If you give me a rough drawing of your kitchen, I can give you an estimate & possible timeline.

The next step is to hire me for the design work. I typically charge a minimum design fee of $300 depending on the scope of the job. I will come to your home, take measurements & bounce ideas around with you. I will also present you with a 3D drawing or sketch of the more sculptural pieces. I’ll make changes to the drawing as needed. During the design process, I will make finished samples of the wood species you’re considering. Included in the design fee is a specific proposal outlining the details in your kitchen and an exact cost for the cabinetry. Due to every job site being different, I charge a by-the-man-hour rate for the delivery & install.

If this seems like an agreeable arrangement, please call or email me and set up a time for us to meet. Thank You, -jason

The Finest Wood

We use a variety of beautiful woods. From River Recovered Cypress to Black Limba. We work with many different species of solid wood and we have access to hundreds of varieties of veneer.

Looking to work with a specific type of wood?
Let us know! We also offer samples to all of our clients.

Solid Wood Vs Veneer

There are two main styles of furniture construction: solid wood & veneer. Of course, solid wood means one piece of solid wood. Its aesthetic is comforting; knowing that your furniture is solid wood is a source of pride. Solid wood also behaves as you would expect it to behave in that it moves according to changes in the air’s humidity. In Florida, a solid wood dining room table top could easily move 3/8” from summer to winter. This means that a solid wood piece should be designed properly so that the table will not literally work itself apart over the years. There are other ways to work around wood movement; the main technique that I prefer to use is veneer.
Many people today rightfully cringe when they hear the word veneer in reference to furniture. The tradition of veneering was hijacked to make cheap furniture that anyone could afford to throw away.
I like to introduce my clients & students to the European tradition (veneering dates back to the Egyptians) of sawing veneer from a plank of wood. Using this technique, veneer can be cut to an appropriate thickness of approximately 1/16th of an inch so that it works like real wood, has the color of other related solid wood such as legs & stretchers, & can be repaired & refinished many times. Sawn veneer at this thickness is not able to overpower the adhesive, so by cross bonding (how plywood is made) we can arrest its movement and allow for great exploration in design, whether by marquetry or parquetry. In the website’s gallery, you will see many of my custom furniture pieces where the grain is going in every which way; that is veneer at work. Besides liberating the design, working with veneer also allows a one-of-a-kind solid wood plank of sometimes extreme value to be stretched up to 6 times per inch of its surface area.

Cabinet Construction

Cabinets are constructed using Columbia Forest Products PureBond® plywood and substrates. This product line is made in the USA with no added formaldehyde. The glue is soy based and the poplar core is Forest Stewardship Councils (FSC) certified. We are a certified member of the Columbia Forrest Products fabricator network. Cabinet boxes and shelves are made with 0 VOC epoxy acrylate pre-finished maple plywood and all edges are covered with maple veneer banding. We make the cabinet boxes in the shop to whatever dimension is necessary; we have no standard box sizes. The drawers are made using solid maple with dovetail joinery. We use Made in North Carolina Blum brand undermount soft close slides.

Modern Kitchen Design

We do a remarkable job using decorative veneer. I would be happy to show you over one hundred samples of different species of wood and grain figures that are available. Our veneer work is furniture quality and we compose our work using the graphics of the wood.
Frame and panel doors and drawer fronts can be made with any species of wood available. I have a wonderful stock of solid wood: Black Walnut, River Recovered cypress and Long Leaf heart pine. Our traditional Shaker style doors are constructed with straight grain quarter sawn frames and flat sawn panels. Our solid wood work is a composition rarely seen even in magazines.

Really Custom Woodwork!

People who are buying cabinets through a store are paying a premium mark-up to middle men & what these people get are factory, mass-produced cabinets. Calling these cabinets “semi-custom” is like calling a car you bought from a car lot “semi-custom” because you picked the color & stereo package. As a custom maker, the term “semi-custom” is a common marketing strategy that I find offensive & disingenuous.

Buying custom crafted cabinets directly from the maker can be less expensive or just as competitively priced as buying from the cabinet store. More importantly, semi-custom cabinets can not compete in any way other than price with custom-made cabinets. The workmanship, the details & the service are barely existent in store bought cabinets. If there is an error in the ordering or design, last minute site changes or a damaged part, you can the expect weeks to go by before the problem will be remedied.

Design, Build, Deliver, Install

 When you hire a custom maker, you are actually hiring a team of people who are responsible for the process from the beginning to the end. We design, build, deliver & install the highest quality, one-of-a-kind, custom cabinetry & fine furniture.

We commonly see that semi-custom cabinets cost more than we would have charged for custom-made cabinets; the semi-custom cabinets that clients receive are over-priced, boring, uncreative, cookie cutter & generic. If you are shopping for Kitchen Cabinets in Florida, reach out & inquire; the results may surprise you.

100% Solar Powered Eco Friendly Showroom & Shop

Our commitment to the environment
As we build your customized furniture, kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and more… A lot of thought goes into the responsibility of resources in which we use. From every piece of wood we acquire, to our vehicles, to the energy we use to power our equipment. We want you to know that purchasing with Straw & Co Woodwork Gainesville Florida, means responsibility to the earth as well as future generations.

100% Solar Powered Renewable Clean Energy
Our shop is located in sunny  Gainesville Florida and is powered by a 20 kWh solar array. The fine woodwork made by Straw & Co are from clean, green, responsible & renewable energy. You can  view the shops energy creation output and usage here.

Our work is built to last!
Finely crafted means the finest quality craftsmanship. The kind that takes years of studying & apprenticing to achieve. We are here to help you achieve the detailed results you’ve always dreamed of. Please feel free to Contact Us or give us a call at (352) 371-3571 for more information.

Terms and Conditions

– Upon acceptance of estimate, Straw and Company F.W.W will provide a sales order and 50% deposit invoice. Signing of the sales order and/or payment of the 50% deposit invoice initiates the project start. Upon receipt of the 50% deposit, all terms and conditions in this document are in full effect. Upon deposit the shop drawings provided to the client by Straw and Co., all items, parts and dimensions therein are final.

 

– There is no grace period for any balance that is not paid. Account balances not paid will incur a finance charge of 2% per month or the maximum permitted by law, whichever is greater, and a 2% flat fee of the balance will be applied. All returned checks, for any reason, will incur a $50 handling charge plus bank fees, per occasion, and must be replaced with a certified check, money order or cash. No claims will be accepted on accounts with unpaid balances.

 

– Installation: Installation times are estimated and not quoted, based on the number of articles to install (# cabinets, # fillers, # scribes and similar), loading and unloading time, travel, tools set up, site cleaning, site conditions, accessibility and # of installers. The estimated and allocated time reflected in the proposal represents good site accessibility and proper site readiness to receive finished millwork. If situations occur that are not Straw and Company F.W.W. responsibility or control that result in the Straw and Company F.W.W. installation team needing more hours to complete the project, extra costs per hour per installer will be billed.

 

– Quoted prices are valid for 30 days after receiving initial estimate.

 

– Site Conditions: If Straw and Company F.W.W.  finds itself in a position where it may not measure the site for the proposed millwork in the condition in which the millwork is to be installed, due to restricted timelines or other restrictive situations, or the dimensions change after measurements are taken, Straw and Company F.W.W. cannot be held responsible for any and all millwork that does not fit within the dimensions of the actual site as manufactured per approved Shop drawings . Any additional charges incurred as a result of modifications to or reproductions of the millwork, necessary to make the millwork fit into the site, as built, will fall under the customers responsibility

 

– We will do its best to adhere to client schedules, however; there are several situations including but not limited to the following that will affect all of the proposed target dates: site readiness, changing construction schedules, material availability, natural weather occurrences, health and family issues, pre-planned vacations or holidays or any other situations that are out of Straw and Company F.W.W.’s direct control. All reasonable actions will be taken to expedite the completion of the installation.

 

-Storage fees will be charged $50 per week per pallet once the project is complete and beginning one week after client/contractors requested deadline.

 

 

-Client/s understand that I am purchasing fine woodwork and that as such, it needs to be stored in a dry, climate-controlled location. Straw and Co. F.W.W. is not responsible for damages if the builder and the client decide that it is required that the woodwork be installed prior to working HVAC systems. I also understand that if damage occurs to my product that is a natural by-product of improper storage (IE: warp, bow, twist, split, dents, etc), or damage by other trades, Straw and Co. is not responsible.

 

-I understand that once my order is placed and is in production (generally within 24 hours), changes to my order require a change order fee as this product is fully custom and built-to-order.

 

– Any changes from drawing/specs will be billed $60 an hour shop time plus materials.

 

– Installation schedules will vary widely based on size and scope of project along with the scheduling of other sub-contractors needed for completion of the customer/s project. All reasonable actions will be taken to expedite the completion of the installation.

 

– We order and use only the finest wood materials available. We also go the extra step and handpick all material for the best grain and color match possible. However, there will be variations of wood grain, pattern, and color because wood is a natural material. Variations in wood grain characteristics and color and wood type, specific grain imperfections, such as small knots are not considered a defect. Typically, finishes turn slightly amber and wood darkens or lightens from the effects of light over time. Color changes over time are not considered a defect. When looking at samples, you must remember that all our techniques are hand applied and inconsistencies will vary from sample to finished project and within the finished project itself. Also, veneers may finish differently from solid woods. Straw and Co. F.W.W. uses the best techniques that we have mastered through the years to keep all finishes as consistent as possible. Variations in product due to finishing technique are not considered a defect.

Variations within 10% from sample are considered acceptable as per industry standards.

 

– Straw and Co. F.W.W. will take precautions to avoid damages to the electrical systems, wiring and plumbing local to our installations. However, if we are not informed by the customer/s as to the whereabouts of electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems and no such systems could be found with our own detectors, repairs for damages shall be the responsibility of others. Straw and Co. F.W.W., its employees and sub-contractors will do their best to avoid any such damages.

 

-Fabrication: All materials are guaranteed to be as specified in shop drawings. If the materials specified are not available, a substitute material of equal or greater quality will be used. All work is to be completed in a professional manner according to Straw and Co. F.W.W.’s high quality standards and practices.

 

– Straw and Co. F.W.W. will take all precautions to not cause any damage to any surface. However due to the inherent nature of installation, Straw and Co. F.W.W. will not be held liable for any minimal damage to paint, wall covering, floor covering and ceiling materials in installation area.

– Straw and Co. F.W.W. has a warranty covering finish for 2-years. The warranty covers use under normal conditions. All non-residential work has a 1-year warranty for all parts, labor and finishing. Straw and Co. F.W.W.  residential products carry a 5-year warranty for workmanship and hardware under normal use.

 

– Once millwork has been delivered and/or installed, our millwork is in pristine condition and working order at that time. It then becomes the client’s responsibility to protect the millwork from then on. Straw and Co. F.W.W.  is not responsible for the damage caused by others after this point in time. During future visits from Straw and Co. F.W.W., any damages to items installed by us prior will be catalogued as inflicted by others. A price and timeline to replace parts damaged by others can then be discussed at a future time. This clause applies especially to projects where several trades (plumbers, tile setters, painters, electricians, general contractors) are trafficking the installation site.

 

Client/Contractor Responsibilities:

– Providing Straw and Co. F.W.W. with all information regarding pertinent electrical wiring, outlets and lighting, as well as all pertinent plumbing local to installation site, in the form of a blueprint or electrical/plumbing plan. photos or equally detailed information.

-Job site must be secure, weather tight and climate controlled

-Floors must be installed

-Walls must be painted

-protect cabinetry after installation

– Providing Straw and Co. F.W.W. with all information regarding appliances and electronic spec sheets and verifying that correct specs are included in drawings or proposal.

– Providing Straw and Co. F.W.W. with all information regarding the materials and finish dimensions that will be present on-site that are different from when the project is site measured by Straw and Co. F.W.W.

– Provide Straw and Co. F.W.W. with additional hardware (including handles, knobs, glass, etc.) not provided and included in our estimate to be on-site prior to installation.

– Informing Straw and Co. F.W.W. of any alterations that may compromise our plan as approved with sufficient notice.

– Only written correspondence is deemed credible for the purpose of communications regarding the project, excluding SMS and MMS.