the process when it comes to the budget and cost of a project. Brandy says that she provides a five-to-six-page proposal that is full of details versus a few lines on a quote or estimate. Brandy followed a somewhat unconventional path into the world of cabinetmaking from an early career as a professional ballet dancer. While touring the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) campus, she became fascinated with the joinery shop and decided that joinery and the wood medium were the right fit for her artistic abilities. After completing the ELTT program, she continued honing her skills on the job and completed the four-year apprenticeship program to become a red seal ticketed journeywoman. Wood be Art had its beginnings more than 20 years ago when Brandy and her business partner, Paul Keller, decided to take the leap and open their own custom woodworking shop. Initially, their focus was on custom-made furniture and fine cabinetry. “We all want to do really cool, architecturally interesting projects,” Brandy explains. “Woodworkers tend to want to build beautiful furniture pieces. We did do some of that work, beautiful dining tables, furniture-related things and then we also did a lot of really great kitchens to pay the bills. I did and still do the majority of the design work for them and became a boutique designbuild firm that leans well into the bespoke realm. These days, Brandy says that not many people come to Wood be Art “as very few people actually want to invest in furniture,” so the company has expanded JANUARY 2024
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