The Wood. The Work. The Why.
About Cedar
Eastern red cedar isn't just what Pop Pop builds with — it's what grows on his land, what he's spent a lifetime learning, and what makes every piece worth owning.
Where It Comes From
Grown here. Cut here. Built here.
Eastern red cedar grows thick and fast across the Missouri Ozarks. Every tree he fells is part of a deliberate harvest: thinning the stand, letting the best trees grow, and turning what would otherwise be cleared brush into furniture that lasts decades.
Nothing is shipped in. No lumber yards, no kiln-dried boards from a warehouse. Pop Pop walks his land, selects each tree himself, mills it on the farm, and peels the bark by hand. From the time a tree comes down to the time a finished piece leaves the farm, it never leaves his hands.
Why Cedar
Built to outlast the elements
Eastern red cedar has been used for outdoor furniture and fence posts for centuries — not because it's fashionable, but because it works. Here's what makes it different.
Natural decay resistance
Cedar's heartwood contains natural oils that resist rot, moisture, and fungal decay without any chemical treatment. Outdoor pieces that would rot in a few years with other woods can last decades in cedar.
Insect repellent
The same oils that resist decay also repel insects naturally — including moths and many wood-boring beetles. No staining, no sealing, no spraying required.
Weathers beautifully
Left untreated, cedar weathers to a soft silver-gray that many people prefer over the original color. It doesn't crack or splinter the way pine does, and it holds its structural integrity for years.
Lightweight and strong
Cedar is one of the lightest softwoods by density, which makes it easy to move furniture around the yard — but it's structurally strong enough to hold up to decades of use and weather.
Naturally aromatic
Fresh-cut cedar has a warm, distinctive fragrance that fades over time but never fully disappears. It's one of those details that makes a cedar piece feel like something more than furniture.
No chemicals needed
Because cedar's natural properties do the work, Pop Pop never applies chemical preservatives, stains, or sealers. What you get is pure wood — nothing added.
Sustainability
Good for the land, not just the yard
Eastern red cedar is considered an invasive species in much of the Midwest — it spreads aggressively into pastures and open land, crowding out native grasses and reducing biodiversity. Harvesting it isn't just sustainable; in many cases it's actively beneficial to the land.
Pop Pop manages his timber with this in mind. He harvests selectively, lets the best trees mature, and keeps the land in balance. Every piece of furniture he builds is, in a small way, an act of land stewardship.
30+
Years BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
10+
Acres of cedar groves
Zero
Chemical treatments used
Where It Fits
From farmhouse to modern — cedar works anywhere
Cedar furniture doesn't belong to one aesthetic. The natural grain and warm reddish-brown tones fit right in on a farmhouse porch, but the clean lines Pop Pop builds work just as well in a modern backyard or a minimalist garden. It's the kind of piece that looks like it was always there — wherever you put it.
Ready to bring cedar home?
Tell Pop Pop what you have in mind. He'll build it from the cedar on his land, just for you.
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