Kentucky native Trae Gaddis started building furniture from found wood four years ago, after he and his wife Brittany found out they had a child on the way. They'd previously sold everything and were traveling around in a motorhome. Brittany started posting items up for sale and their business took off from there.
Two years ago, the Gaddis' moved to Central Oregon and Trae continued building furniture. Also a welder, many of his pieces incorporate wood and steel for a mountain modern vibe.
"It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be," Gaddis says of starting and running a business in Central Oregon. "Back home, I was able to pick up projects from friends and family. Here, we don't really know anybody. My wife's marketing skills have come in handy here."
Gaddis has started to develop a following thanks to his beautiful, hand-crafted work and the wonders of Instagram (@scavengerwoodworks).
"I'd say the style people are after out here is more my niche than the style of work back home. More 'mountain modern' here, whereas it was more 'farmhouse style' there. The work here pushes me further in the direction that I want to go," Gaddis says.
Up next? Gaddis dreams of having a storefront in downtown Bend with a few employees to help him build the furniture. In addition to a storefront, Gaddis hopes to build their online business.
