‘A say in every step of the way’
Deer Lake business specializes in custom woodworking products
Gerry Payne has made woodworking his vocation.
Each day, he looks forward to checking his messages for orders and heading out to his home garage to begin a new piece.
“I can truly say that when I’m in my shop working, it doesn’t feel like work,” he told West Coast Wire.
Earlier this year, Payne opened Dusty Moustache Creations out of his Deer Lake home.
It specializes in designing and creating custom hardwood and epoxy furniture and home decor.
Payne crafts every item by hand, including coffee tables, entryway tables, end tables, bar tops, fireplace mantles, dining room tables, floating shelves, charcuterie boards, cutting boards, crib boards and wall art.
While Payne does keep inventory, he estimates about 95 per cent of his work is custom commissions, which is what he prefers. He likes to collaborate with his clients so they receive exactly what they want.
“They can come here, pick out their own slab, they can pick out the colour of epoxy if they want epoxy,” he added.
“They can pick out designs. I can show them previous designs. It truly is a custom piece because they have a say in every step of the way as to the direction we go.”
The conversations he has with clients is one of the things he enjoys the most about this work.
“Listening to their story, listening to what it is they want (to) do with their home, what they envision happening in their home - all those things make it very enjoyable for me,” he said.
His wife Courtney helps with the finishing details, ensuring he doesn’t miss anything, decorating some items and helping with photography.
STARTING OUT
Payne never had experience in woodworking until the pandemic. He was working as operations manager for a utility construction company when COVID-19 hit. He says that brought on stresses and strains, and he needed relief. He found that relief in a new project.
“I picked up a tailgate off a square body GMC probably 10 or 12 years ago and I (saw) on Pinterest you could turn a tailgate into a bench,” he explained. “So, I had cedar boards and I had this tailgate, so that was the project I started on.”
Payne found the process to be therapeutic.
“Just the sanding of the boards and then the satisfaction of starting it with rough lumber and then a nice finished product, I think that also contributed to my desire to do more of woodworking,” he stated.
It quickly turned into a hobby. His interests expanded into epoxy. He ordered a kit online and made a charcuterie board, which he gave to a friend. Suddenly, he had friends and family requesting charcuterie boards, coasters and other similar items for them. That gradually ballooned into what he’s doing today.
In February of this year he quit his job to go full time into Dusty Moustache Creations.
The name is derived from Payne’s handlebar moustache.
“Anytime that you’re sanding or routering wood, there’s always sawdust and stuff all over your face, in your hair and in my moustache,” he explained. “So, when I was thinking about a name, I was like, ‘well my moustache is kind of an identifying feature for me.’ I was just in our office one day thinking through things and I was thinking ‘Dusty Moustache Creations, I think that’s a winner.’”
Running his own business also allows Payne to work flexible hours, giving him time for other interests, including volunteering as a Jehovah’s Witness.
TEACHING OTHERS
Dusty Moustache doesn’t just sell finished products. Payne has decided to sell the materials to provide others the opportunity to make their own woodworking items.
“We import slabs from the mainland so anybody who wants to build their own table or build their own cutting boards, we have all the material here that they would need to do it,” he explained.
“I said, ‘I’m bringing this stuff in from the mainland for myself; obviously other people are having trouble sourcing these items. I’m bringing it in anyways, why don’t I bring in some more and make it available to the local makers? They can pick from inventory, too.’”
When he started, Payne says whenever he needed guidance, he turned to instructional videos online. He believes in doing the same for others.
“Sometimes, I’ll show a process on Instagram or Facebook or TikTok and people say, ‘aren’t you worried people are going to start knowing how to do,’ and I said, ‘if someone didn’t do the videos I watched, I wouldn’t have known how to do what I’m doing,’” he explained. “It’s full circle if you ask me.”
Payne believes anybody can learn the process. The key is being patient and ensuring you don’t skip any steps.
“Some of the highlights that I’ve had over the last couple of years has been helping people like myself who had no woodworking experience.”
In 2024, he is even considering hosting classes on epoxy.
Dusty Moustache Creations is available for contact on Facebook and has a website dustymoustachecreations.com
Payne ships across Canada and the United States.