The Four Craftsmen redeeming wood
Orders flowing in for family’s custom-made wooden furniture
After being retrenched for the second time over the course of a year, East London local, Tarryn Hutton, turned some bad news and tough times into a happy venture.
Learning some new woodworking skills and recruiting the talents of her husband and other family members, Hutton now runs a new business.
The Four Craftsmen was launched in June, and they have since created a variety of wooden items; from bed bases to desks and decorations.
“I was first retrenched in 2019 from EOH, after working there for 10 years.
“I then started a position at a telecom company as a sales rep, but due to Covid-19 they had to retrench me eight months later,” Hutton said.
“At that time, my husband had been working on a bed for a friend’s daughter.
“The bed came out beautifully and when the friend posted it, it got lots of attention.”
From there on, Hutton and her husband started receiving multiple requests for custom-made wooden furniture and décor items, and The Four Craftsmen was born. “We got the name from the Bible.
“The four craftsmen speak of the four prophets who will bring in the Messianic Kingdom and final redemption.
“Hence our slogan is Redeeming Wood,” Hutton explained.
While Hutton has always loved creating things and working with her hands, her husband Ryan is the original carpenter in the family and has taught almost the whole family the art of working with wood.
“My husband went to a technical school and loved woodworking.
“He kept the hobby all through the years and has recently taught me how to cut, saw, sand and paint,” Hutton said.
“We’ve all actually been upskilled by
Ryan.”
The Four Craftsman is definitely a family affair, with Hutton’s father, Claude Moonieyan, her niece, Brittney Moonieyan, and brother-in-law, Craig Springfield, all having a vital role in the business.
“My dad always encouraged me to start a business and continued to encourage me during lockdown. This was a perfect time to invest in something as I had nowhere else to look,” said Hutton.
Making anything from TV stands to wall art, event décor, planters and more, The Four Craftsmen have no problem making anyone’s vision come to life.
“We mainly work on custom orders because we don’t have a warehouse or storage space for furniture, but we also really love to make the furniture exclusive and one-of-akind to the particular family or individual,” said Hutton.
“We also do smaller arts and crafts items that we keep on hand.”
And while The Four Craftsmen don’t have a warehouse, they have grown and gained enough support to employ another wood worker, Thembekile Mtima.
Hutton said she was a people pleaser, sometimes to her detriment, but that meant she ensured The Four Craftsmen outdid themselves when it came to creating custommade items for clients.
“I am much of a people’s pleaser, it’s what I thrive on, going over and above what people expect,” Hutton quipped.
“I have always been a creative person and love getting involved in making something come to life.
“To get the opportunity to be able to make something with my hands and see the finished product is incredibly rewarding.”
Hutton said the most challenging items The Four Craftsmen were asked to make were distressed storage beds, but nothing was off limits for the team.
“It was lots of work, but we pulled it off,” she said.
Making the best of a tough 2020, Hutton said she couldn’t be happier.
“There is no better feeling than to deliver something to a client and they say ‘you have exceeded my expectations’. No amount of money can make me happier.”
I have always been creative and love getting involved in making something come to life. The opportunity to make something with my hands and see the finished product is incredibly rewarding