A client in Denver once asked me to leave the pencil marks on his custom bookshelf.

He said 'those lines are the story of how it got made.' Has anyone else had a request like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

My uncle in Cleveland collects old woodworking tools and he always points out the little nicks and scratches, says they're proof someone used them for real work. I see that same idea a lot now, like people wanting the worn leather on a jacket or the patina on an old bike frame. It's like we're tired of perfect, mass-produced stuff and want things that show they have a history, lol. That client wanting the pencil marks totally fits that vibe.

umamoore1mo ago

Totally get that. It's funny how we pay extra for the look of something being used hard, right? My own stuff just ends up looking beat up and sad, not cool and storied. Like the coffee table I bought that got a real dent from me dropping a book, not some artful, decades-old wear. Guess I'm just bad at cool patina and great at regular old damage.