our inheritance

Growing up with the last name Bratyanski meant a lifetime of hearing all the creative ways people have tried to pronounce it. Still, we always knew we wanted to incorporate our family's last name into our business. So, we chose a loose translation: "brother of john."

Our family history is full of DIY mishaps and victories. We were raised to appreciate craftsmanship and creativity in the skilled trades. Thanks to our parents, we have been measuring twice and cutting six times since we were kids. And we look for any reason to visit a hardware store!

The idea for our business started with a relative’s armoire, a behemoth of a piece purchased in the 1960s with cherubs and twisting grapevines. No one wanted it, and it was too heavy to move. So, we did the most logical thing: we took a hammer to it. Demolition meant watching out for sneaky nails.

Demolition on that Sunday afternoon provided enough wood to fill an SUV. And seeing lumber prices tick up, we decided to take this harvest and "get creative." We upcycled the armoire and gave it a new purpose.

While we would love to restore a favorite piece of furniture for you, we do not store large items in our shop for restoration. Instead, we create new products from discarded materials.

While not everyone may want Aunt Marianne’s armoire, we can all enjoy the holiday ornaments and other decorative arts created from that monstrosity.