Bill and Lisa Isaksen
Our Featured Work:
Our Story
“We strive to offer heirloom quality products that will be used and enjoyed for generations”
Our names are Bill and Lisa Isaksen and we own and operate Right Angle Woodshop. We make and sell handmade wooden items for kitchens and homes.
At the heart of our small business is a passion to provide handmade, long-lasting products that add character and tradition to a home. I always held an appreciation for handmade items, from something as small as a wooden spoon to larger pieces like a table. In this age of mass production, we have heard so many people voice frustrations about the deterioration in quality and life-span of home products commonly found in big-name stores. The adage “They do not make them like they used to” encompasses this idea. With our products, we aim to chip away at this criticism and assure customers that there are still people who make things like they used to: by hand and with heart.
Right Angle Woodshop blossomed out of my retirement. I retired nearly three years ago while Lisa was retired for a few years already. I regularly practiced woodworking as a hobby and consider it a very meditative activity. After retirement, I expressed an interest in selling my wood products and from there, Lisa took the opportunity to get the business started. She began to create an online presence and upload our products to online markets. While Lisa manages the business’s finances and marketing, I design and create our products. We came up with the name Right Angle Woodshop and it just fit. Right angles play a large, technical role in woodworking but the name also reflects our business approach: to deliver the best customer experience.
One of our greatest motivators is receiving positive feedback and encouragement about our products. We strive to offer heirloom quality products that will be used and enjoyed for generations. Hearing stories about our products becoming essentials and traditions in people’s homes drives our focus and themes for the business. We recently heard from a customer who is a single mom and uses our pastry board to make pizza with her son every weekend. Another customer recently remodeled her kitchen and had me make several custom charcuterie boards to complement her new design. Stories like these and having the support of friends and family have continually been great motivators while we grow our business.
One of the biggest challenges crafters and handmade sellers face are the prices of similar products that have been mass produced and now masquerade as the genuine article. While I’ll never compete with the pricing of mass produced products, thanks to a consumer shift, more and more people are willing to be educated about the value of an item that is made by hand. I take pride in the work partly because I see myself in it. When you buy something someone else made, you yourself are reflected in that purchase. No two handmade items are exactly alike. Variations in color, shading, texture, shape and grain are inherent in a handmade item. This means that every handmade item you purchase is also one-of-a-kind. Whether it’s the color, the texture, the shape, or just the mood you happen to be in, an item that has been hand crafted is treasured and valued far beyond an item that was made for worldly mass consumption.
Keeping up with our social media presence has been, and will probably continue to be, a challenge for Lisa. Developing a strong and distinct voice, creating fresh and meaningful content, keeping content on brand, and finding time for everything are not so easy! Challenges aside, connecting with our customers - whether on Facebook or Instagram - is vital and Lisa is determined to continue to have a human connection with you through social media.
We work in our home. A sun-drenched guest bedroom was converted to Lisa’s office and photography studio. As an early bird she can be found working at her computer before sunrise. While she prefers working in a quiet space, mine echoes music and equipment. In addition to the many tools, lumber, and various contraptions, there are two workbenches. I inherited one of the workbenches from my father, so it has great sentimental value. I am usually joined by our shop dog, Buddy. He was a rescue dog as part of a foster program Lisa volunteered for. We bonded immediately and the adoption papers were signed that day. He has become our mascot now, and waits by my feet every day, anticipating when I head to the shop. He loves to spend time with me there and does not seem to mind all the noise. He is paid with scratches, treats and has a great benefits package!
It’s a wonderful feeling to know our products are in homes as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. However, we would love Right Angle Woodshop to become better known locally. I would also like to expand product selections to include various boxes, small scale furniture and other three dimensional designs. I am constantly taking woodworking classes to learn new skills and techniques and, in time, hope to bring our business to the next level.
Custom requests are always welcome at our shop. Once the design is finalized (size, shape, materials, etc. . .) I will provide you with a sketch for final approval. Ultimately, we want to provide a product that will last a lifetime. We hope our products become a familiar part of our customers' homes and add beauty and functionality to their daily lives.
What can we make for you?
Bill and Lisa Isaksen