Jonathan Otter- Furniture Maker

Jonathan is a skilled craftsman. The artistic approach he takes with his woodworking endeavours is of the highest quality. He is very professional and a pleasure to work with.

For my wife's 49th birthday I wanted to do something special; thinking why wait until 50?! I approached Jonathan with a request for a unique piece, in the way of a very special rocking chair. Sure, I had some ideas on how it might come together and told him how I envisioned it being enjoyed - but it was he who provided the artistry AND the meticulous hand to bring my idea to fruition. The result was fantastic. My wife was thrilled. You can see The Love Chair on his website! Thanks Jonathan! Jeff Williams and Judy Flecknell

When first viewing Jonathan Otter's woodworking in 2004 I was struck by his mastery of materials and ingenuity of design in his furniture and, since, have observed his continued growth and passion for his work. Set apart from many of his colleagues by using native North American hardwoods (thus fully aware of where and how materials are grown and harvested), and using only pure (no off-gassing) finishing oils, Otter's craft is lovingly and laboriously manifested in contemporary pieces that combine beauty and comfort and also hearken to traditional designs. Infused with the spirit of a true craftsperson, Otter has enkindled his love of the natural world, inherent abilities, attention to the perfection of every detail, and aesthetics into beautiful furniture appealing to a wide range of preferences. I am delighted to own one of those pieces--a four-poster pencil-post bed of cherry, the beauty of which intensifies over time as the tone of the wood darkens to a deep and rich golden hue. It is truly the loveliest piece of furniture I own. That I have had the pleasure of knowing Jonathan through this process only adds to my appreciation of the work of a fine craftsperson. Susan MacAlpine Foshay

Jonathan Otter is one of Canada’s most talented young furniture makers. His work combines time-honoured craftsmanship with innovative, modern designs of understated elegance. He is a consummate professional, whose work demonstrates his passionate creativity, exacting skill, and strong sense of style. I recently commissioned Jonathan to make a cremation urn. I have always admired the beauty of fine wooden objects and did not want some unimaginative, mass-produced, off-the-shelf box. Jonathan created a handsome and distinctive urn in cherry. He cut the curved dovetails by hand (not with a router) and he used one plank for the entire urn, and kept the pieces in order so the grain follows in sequence around each corner. I was highly pleased with the result. Several years ago, my wife and I also purchased an oval side table in cherry from Jonathan. It is one of our favourite and most useful pieces of furniture.

My wife and I decided to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with a new coffee table as it was the first piece of furniture we purchased as a married couple 25 years ago. We couldn't find what we were looking for in the stores and started to make inquiries about a custom build. We sourced builders locally and throughout the Maritimes, but couldn't find what we were looking for, until we met Jonathan. In fact he was one of the first contacts we reached out to due to his website and one of the few that provided a prompt and encouraging response. That clear and positive communication was consistent throughout the process. At the time we were leaning heavily toward using a local cabinet maker for our project, but prior to making the final decision we had opportunity to travel through Jonathan's locale and decided to drop in and discuss our plans with him, thinking there was only an outside chance we could make it work. We met Jonathan at his studio and workshop and proceeded to outline our ideas. In the end, we were pleasantly surprised that we could get exactly what we wanted, with better materials (solid birds-eye maple and black walnut) and craftsmanship (dovetail joinery throughout) than we had hoped for, all for a modest increase to our original budget. He patiently answered all of our questions and really made the whole process very enjoyable. We left a few of the final build details ultimately up to Jonathan, except we had one special request. We somehow wanted to incorporate our wedding date discreetly into the piece. we had some general ideas and suggestions, but left that feature up to him. We had no firm deadline for the table, but preferred if we could have it completed in 2013, our anniversary year and Jonathan was able to work within that timetable. In the end, the coffee table was more than we had imagined. We were really thrilled and surprised when we first saw the finished piece. Jonathan's build quality, creativity and attention to detail really stood out. From the hand carved drawer pulls (that reminded me of my grandparents "captains" home) to the ingenious way he incorporated our anniversary date into the table top, we really were impressed. Highly recommended.

Jonathan Otter has made two pieces of furniture for me. A mirrored dresser drawer piece made from Black Walnut and Birds Eye Maple. The drawer's are grain matched and the drawer pulls are carved from the drawer fronts. A six drawer dresser made from Maple with underwater recovered Birds Eye Maple. The drawers are curved and the drawer pulls are hand made. The photo's are amateur and taken by me so they don't really compare to viewing in person. With both pieces I supplied a rough idea of what I wanted and he come back with some idea's which resulted in the final design. He encouraged me to visit his shop throughout the whole building phase. He has a lot of enthusiasm for details and really enjoys what he does. I enjoy showing both pieces to people and everyone is always very appreciative of the workmanship that went into making them.

Jonathon Otter is a professional above all else. He came to my house and we discussed the project that I wanted made. He is customer focused, so incorporated many of my ideas in his design and execution of the project. Johnathon's skills are beyond the top of his class, he is a true artisan who happens to work with wood as his medium. Besides this, he is a highly skilled, fair, personable and punctual individual; a true gentleman. If you want a cheap cookie cutter project done, then hire someone else; if you want an original artist, who is a perfectionist, hire Johnathon and be prepared to pay a professional's price; for me, it was worth every dollar. Stephen Parsons PS Photos of the project can be obtained from Johnathon.