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I look up to people that are out there doing it and are willing to put themselves out there.

The power of Instagram led me to meet Matthew Evans. One evening, I posted a photo on my Rick Scotch Instagram account and received a "LIKE" from @evanswoodshopanddesign. I decided to check out his profile and sure enough, I saw very cool custom furniture and decor pieces that were handcrafted out of reclaimed wood and each were built by Matt Evans. At that point, I knew I had to try to get him on for a Scotch Parlor podcast. Two weeks later we were doing a podcast.

Matt has always been a creative, even as a kid he would go through his dad's scrap piles and use those wood pieces to build tree forts. He is known to use leftover firewood and transform that into a piece of furniture. He says "I've always had a knack for taking something in my head and going out and building it with my hands."

The idea of Evan's Woodshop & Design unknowingly started about seven years ago when he built a coffee table for a wedding present for his brother and sister-in-law. Two years later, he receives a miter saw as a Christmas gift for his home improvement projects which then lead to him helping out a friend with some shelving for her apartment. He built those shelves for his friend out of reclaimed wood with some design style and they were an absolute hit. At that point, everyone was telling him that he should establish a woodshop business because he was receiving a lot of requests. He then decided to follow his passion and Evan's Woodshop & Design was created.

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There's no one else that's telling me to do this, so it's the self-motivation in having a successful small business.

Evan's Woodshop & Design is Matt's shop where he handcrafts custom furniture and decor pieces using reclaimed wood. His storefront is on ETSY. He says ETSY, is more of a showcase to give his customers an idea on what he has created in the past, rather than a product he just has in stock. Being that his work is all custom, he works with his customers to build something unique to them. Some of the cool pieces that I love in particular is the Glass Cubby Coffee Table, the Coffee Station Shadow Box, the Wine Hutch and the Mason Jar Organizer.

In this podcast you will instantly love Matt, you will understand why he is good at what he does and why customers love working with him. You will also get insights on his process, his passions on why he does what he does, the story of how Matt got started, his most significant challenges and three pieces of advice he would give someone that wants to create. Most of all you will get to know the man behind those beautiful handcrafted furniture and decor pieces that make Evans Woodshop & Design an incredible connection for your next custom furniture piece.

For anyone that is looking to have custom furniture or decor pieces made by Evan's Woodshop & Design, he will absolutely help you through the whole process from concept to design to the finished product where you will be 100% satisfied with.

Enjoy the podcast and keep creating.

Some Questions I Ask:

Have you always been crafty with furniture? (2:45)

How did Evans Woodshop & Design start? (3:50)

Where are you able to create? (6:45)

Other finished furniture Matt made?  (8:00)

What is the process of getting a piece of furniture made? (8:50)

What has been your biggest challenge so far? (11:13)

Where can you buy his products? (21:12)

WIDWID (Why I Do What I Do). (24:10)

Who do you look up to? (24:56)

We talk about youtube replacing personal mentors. (25:50)

We talk coffee. (27:25)

Travels. (31:05)

Are you a reader? (33:11)

What is your cocktail of choice? (35:29)

How do you define your legacy? (36:00)

Editor’s Note: This story was shared through a Scotch Parlor podcast. Photography & Videography shoot was at Evans Woodshop & Design in San Francisco, CA.