Wood with a Personality: 7m Woodworking

Photo courtesy of 7m woodworking

Paul Miller of 7m Woodworking creates pieces that cannot be found anywhere else. His projects – ranging from wooden headboards to Edison bulb chandeliers – are built with reclaimed materials, like century-old wood from barns across the Midwest. “The last barn that I was working with was 135 years old. [Although] it was in really good condition, it had to be taken down because the upkeep of it was really expensive,” he says. “Trees do not grow as densely as they once did, and [new] wood is not as strong. If this wood held up a barn for 100-some years, why would you let that go to waste? Why wouldn’t you use that for something else, like a table?”

Miller chooses salvaged materials not only for durability, but also for aesthetic purposes; he builds with wood that has a personality. Whether it’s a distinctive grain pattern or a live edge, Miller designs around the wood’s raw beauty to create fixtures that embody modern living.

Trees do not grow as densely as they once did, and [new] wood is not as strong. If this wood held up a barn for 100-some years, why would you let that go to waste? Why wouldn’t you use that for something else, like a table?

Paul Miller

An Ohio native, Miller learned woodworking fundamentals early on in life. He didn’t discover his love of the craft, however, until he and his wife purchased their first home in Chicago.

After incurring a shoulder injury, the former personal trainer spent a month and a half recovering in his new home. So, naturally, he decided to build a new wall system. Several home improvement projects later, Miller turned his passion for design into a business – 7m Woodworking – in 2012. “For me, it’s very much second nature to visualize something and then do it. I never realized that I had a skill that not everybody had,” he says.

With over 500 completed projects under his belt, this midwestern craftsman’s future looks bright.