Melody and Soul is a love story. It’s the story of two young people who met at a local bar and built a life together. This piece was constructed from customer-supplied materials with significant sentimental value. No mistakes on this one, no running to the lumber yard to pick up a new piece of walnut or applewood.

Ingrid and Robert shared over 20 years together, raising two children, embracing life and enjoying the outdoors. Robert was the kind of guy who did a little bit of everything; musician, handyman, attorney, you get it. Robert had ventured into the woods with his axe and chainsaw and chopped up some fallen black walnut and applewood. He stacked the pieces in the driveway, leaving them to dry, with the rough applewood on the top and the more refined black walnut on the bottom. He had had a friend mill the walnut into somewhat even planks but the applewood was super rough, full of axe gouges. The wood stack sat for years to air dry, maybe he would make a bench or table someday. Tragically Robert never got to see that vision through, he had health issues and passed way too young.

After his passing, Ingrid reached out to me to share their story and gain some closure. She showed me the woodpile on the driveway, it had been sitting just like that for years waiting for the right time. Ingrid and I sat together and talked about their life and love and their kids. I wanted to preserve their stories, honor her memories and create a place where she could feel Robert’s presence.

The first piece is called Melody. Ingrid had gone out with friends to the local Melody bar where Robert was working as a bouncer. The Melody was a beloved local icon, it had two large glass-block windows on the ground floor, a bold, colorful banner across its façade, and four more windows on the second floor.

My first design challenge was to preserve the look of the original woodpile while also reflecting the look of the Melody bar. When I looked at the pile of applewood I joked with Ingrid asking if Robert had used a beaver to mill the boards, they had the most interesting shapes and contours. By preserving these forms you can see and feel where his hand guided the axe.

The blocky cuts of the applewood naturally reflect the same blocky architecture of the Melody bar so I structured the piece to find a balance between the imagery of the two.

The story moves from rough edges on the left, they hadn’t yet found their soulmates, to an organized serenity on the right when they ultimately married and honeymooned in Aruba. I wanted to capture that flowing feeling of ocean waves and the curves of the flamingos that Robert loved.

At the top, I placed a heat-colored steel band as a nod to the Melody Bar’s signature banner, and a representation of the strength of their bond. Melody is heavy, strong, solid, and enduring.

The second piece, Soul, constructed from the black walnut, continues the story of their married life.

The left side continues the sweeping forms of flamingos. If you look at it from overhead you can see the necks intertwined. The back is constructed in blocks, each one representing a shared story and experience.

Before they met, Robert was an Army paratrooper. As a veteran myself, I understand how military service shapes you, so I made this a foundation of the design. Viewed from the front or back, you can see that the backrest and vertical supports form the shape of the paratrooper’s insignia.

Robert was an accomplished guitarist so continuing to the other side of the seat you can see the shape of Robert’s guitar, and from the side, the legs take the form of musical notes.

The entire bench tilts back by three degrees, so you gently slide back into it. And when you do, the seat-back is curved to form an embrace—Robert’s embrace. You can feel him wrapping around you.

The armrest on the top right is a key focal point as its rays burst outward like the sun—representing how Robert’s stories, love, and soul radiate beyond his time.

Melody and Soul curve together, blending seamlessly.

They are not just objects; they are memories, shaped by the past but living in the present. Every curve, every mark, every intentional detail holds a moment, a feeling, a story worth telling.