Harrington Woodworks – The Interview

We love helping people from all over the world bring their passion projects, side hustles, and dream businesses to life online. As part of our “Being Your Own Boss” series, we’re interviewing Hover customers to explore their stories, what inspires them, and how they manage the challenges of pursuing your passion. 

Today we’ll be shining a spotlight on Gavin Harrington of Harrington Woodworks. 

Gavin Harrington is an expert furniture designer and maker who specializes in maritime craftsmanship and crafts bespoke fine furniture for anyone that desires a unique piece of art in their home, office, or any space that will be enjoyed for years to come. Gavin has now been in the furniture designing and building industry for about 20 years with experience from both Ireland and the United States. Positive feedback about his abilities as a professional then led him to start his own website in order to offer his services to a wider audience. 

“My ultimate goal with my website and business is to demonstrate what I do as a furniture maker in a way that’s easy for any potential client to navigate and understand.” 

When it comes to the biggest challenges in running his business, Gavin states that finding the time to juggle multiple ongoing projects and learning how to prioritize have been the most important. He also highlights his wife as an amazing support system who helps with running certain aspects of the business so that he can focus on his workload.

“It’s a constant balancing act, but it’s a good challenge that i’m happy to be facing.”

We also asked if he feels pressured to keep up with shifts in the industry and if it’s important to stay on top of trends. Gavin tells us that he prefers to stay focused on bespoke pieces with one-of-a-kind designs. In today’s world, where we’re often told that success comes from looking out for and capitalizing on trends. Gavin perhaps proves that success can still be found in the faithful pursuit of one’s art and mastery of one’s craft. A reminder that staying true to yourself matters more.

“I’m happy to recreate a piece a client sees in a magazine or website, but I don’t follow trends with my business.”

This theme came up directly when we asked Gavin for his best advice for budding entrepreneurs.

“Take the time to learn the craft properly. I studied cabinet making in Ireland where I initially sanded for two years and then went on to tree biology, theory, and so forth. You find ways to set yourself apart from everyone else who also wants to be a furniture maker. There are daily occurrences when things don’t work out for me, and that’s where my studies have come in to fix an issue most people wouldn’t know how to tackle. Once you get the experience, word of mouth will spread for you.”

Learn more about Harrington Woodworks on his website harringtonwoodworks.com or check out their social media pages @hwoodworks.

If you’d like to learn more about entrepreneurs and small business owners like you making it in this world, be sure to keep an eye out on our blog for more such inspirational content to follow!