Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Spiller.
Richard, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In 2006, my wife, two kids, and I moved to Birmingham, AL and bought our first house. I had a hammer, a socket set and some screwdrivers but no woodworking tools. Shortly after moving in, my brother-in-law and his family came to visit. He had the idea of building a sandbox in the backyard for our kids. Off we went to Sears to buy a circular saw and cordless drill. The next stop was Home Depot for screws, lumber, and a kit to build a pair of sawhorses. Those original tools have long since been replaced but I still have and use that original pair of sawhorses. The sandbox came out great and I was hooked.
Next, I built a wall cabinet to store our excessively large and unwieldy collection of music CDs. Due to my limited abilities, my design for the cabinet was based on the size of lumber that was available to purchase. Then I designed and built a wooden playset for the kids that added on to the sandbox. Not only did the playset need to account for the existing sandbox but also the slants and slopes of a hilly backyard. The kids loved it. Envisioning exactly what the kids wanted and overcoming the challenges of the yard to create with my hands and tools an attractive, functional, and unique playset was exciting.
In 2011, a job change meant that our growing family of now four kids was moving to Knoxville, TN. Our new house had an unfinished basement and I soon started thinking about having a shop. Over time, I added more tools and created a makeshift workspace with shower curtains to contain the dust. With space to grow into, I started adding larger tools. My first big tool was a miter saw for which my stepdad helped me build a combination miter saw station and wood storage rack. I kept adding tools and building more projects. The new backyard needed a treehouse. My youngest daughter wanted a desk, so I built one for her birthday. My project list has always grown faster than my ability to build.
In January 2019, my wife and I decided to finish our basement. The two main goals were a media den for the kids to enjoy with their friends and a dedicated woodshop for me. The finished basement included a den, a storage room, a bathroom, and my workshop. While I will always love that basement shop, over time I realized that there was not enough room for me, my tools, and the projects I was building for clients.
So in late 2022, I started looking for a new space. After a couple of months, I discovered a small local gun store was going out of business. It occurred to me that it would be a great location. I contacted the owner and he liked the idea of having a woodshop in his building. In January 2023, I signed a lease and got to work. It took a lot longer than I had planned or hoped but the new shop is amazing. I now have plenty of room. I have even added a large CNC machine. I also still have that original pair of sawhorses that I built in 2006.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest struggle has been figuring out how to market and advertise. I mostly do this on my own so it is tough to juggle working on projects with posting on social media and trying to figure out ways to get my name and brand out into the world.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Liberating Wood?
My business is a small woodworking shop. The kinds and sizes of the things I do varies widely. I also make various items to sell from cutting boards, to decorative pieces and tables. I have recently set up a small area in my shop to display items that I have for sale.
I like taking an idea and finding a piece or pieces of wood that I can use to make that idea come to life. Or, conversely, looking at a piece of wood and coming up with an idea of something beautiful that can be made from it. That is the idea behind the name of the business, Liberating Wood. I have this idea that I am freeing something that is naturally there in wood.
I particularly enjoy taking a client’s idea and turning it into a reality. I ask a lot of questions and get very detailed to ensure I know exactly what each client is looking for. Having something custom made is generally much more expensive than buying something off the shelf. I want to make sure that if someone is willing to pay that premium, they are getting exactly what they want.
More recently, I have been working a good bit with reclaimed and live-edge wood, and also with epoxy. Sometimes the epoxy is just a means to restore or reinforce a piece of wood. Other times, the epoxy is colored and is a significant part of the final design. There a so many possibilities and the combination of wood that has a lot of natural character and epoxy can often lead to stunning results.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The people are great. We have lived here in Farragut since June 2011 and have always enjoyed our friends and neighbors.
I also love the weather and the seasons. Have four full and distinct seasons is great. Fall and spring are my favorites but I love them as much as I do because of how they come on the heels of summer and winter. Whenever I get tired of one season, it is time to start changing to the next.
I can’t think of anything in particular that I don’t like.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://liberatingwood.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liberatingwood/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liberatingwood
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liberatingwood/
- Twitter: https://x.com/LiberatingWood
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@liberatingwood
