Blog Post

Build Your Brand With a Strong Foundation in Mind

Kayla Cote • Apr 24, 2019

With our guest, furniture designer & builder, Tony Ward

When you're in the process of starting a brand, it's exciting, which is a GREAT thing, but can be devastating when an idea takes a few to many tangents. Let's admit it, we've all been there at some point. (I know I have!) I'm here to let you know there is good news! We can all take efforts to build our brand on a strong foundation, a solid idea with room to grow and adapt as it matures.

It sounds contradictory to be solid yet fluid at the same time. The way I like to look at it is by having a solid idea, a clear path which I want to take, keeping in mind there will be adjustments that need to happen along the way. Much like building something from scratch, a solid concept may be drafted up, but we may take a few shifts and turns to get to the final product. If we start with a solid foundation and a clear path, we'll be able to navigate the times we need to make a change.

Our friend, Tony of Ward & Weston, is a craftsman of high-end wooden furniture. He designs and creates modern pieces for clients as well as custom cabinetry. Read further as he sheds light on his experience as a creative and as a business owner and how his foundation in Christ keeps him grounded, especially when it comes to the chaos that comes as a business owner.

About Tony

"I specialize in the designing and building of high-end furniture. I love being able to take a design idea or concept and then take that into the shop and physically create it. It’s a rewarding feeling to take what was once a design idea and then create it with your own two hands."

"In a world of automated manufacturing I think its really important to still be able to physically build with your own two hands. I really believe that furniture has a different look and feel when built by hand."

K: What benefits for clients who choose custom built pieces?

"One of the best benefits of choosing to have a custom piece built is the quality in the construction of the piece. Most craftsman who build by hand choose to focus on the quality of the piece and not so much on the quantity of pieces they are building. Its also a great way to have something built that is to your exact design ideas and needs."


Where He Finds His Passion, Inspiration & Process

K: How did you find your passion for woodworking?

T: "I found my passion for woodworking at really young age, I would say as soon as I could start using tools, I started building something. My dad and both my grandfathers built furniture in their spare time so I got my passion initially from helping them. I would say the moment I knew that I wanted to build furniture for a living was when I was introduced to shop class in high school."


K: How do you find inspiration and ideas for your pieces?

T: "Finding inspiration and ideas for furniture design is becoming one of my favorite parts of the furniture business. I never know when a design idea will pop into my head, unfortunately its usually when I am trying to sleep. I also get a lot of inspiration from shapes in nature. Design in nature was created for a certain function but also with form. That is really important in furniture making. Each piece of furniture needs to be created for a certain function, but it also needs to be created with form. Nobody wants to have a chair in their house that is both uncomfortable and unappealing to the eye. This is why I really love what I do.


"Not only do you have to be skilled craftsman but you also need to be an artist. When you are finally able to combine both of these things you can start creating some really beautiful functional furniture."

K: What is your process from idea to final product?

"The process for me usually starts with sketching an idea or concept of a piece of furniture. This can come from either the customers design idea or from my own design idea. I then like to make a scaled miniature model of the piece being built. Building a miniature model of the piece prior to the real thing really helps to work out any design flaws or flaws in the function of the piece. Plus, I find customers really enjoy seeing a model of what they are going to be getting and not just a sketch on a piece of paper. It gives them a realistic look at what will be built."

K: What are your favorite projects and why?

T: "One of my favorite pieces of furniture to build is coffee tables. I like designing them because you can get pretty creative in the design of the piece without loosing its function of being a table. I like coffee tables because they serve a certain purpose in your home but they can also serve as an art piece or an accent piece in the living room."


Where He Finds His Foundation & What He Values About Community

K: What is your foundation, what keeps you calm during chaos?

T: "I think its important to have something you lean on or turn too when things get chaotic. For me that is my faith in Jesus. Life can get really stressful and chaotic but the one thing that gives me peace is knowing I serve a God that Is greater than all my problems."



K: As a creative business owner, do you feel building relationships within your community is important and why?

T: "I think building relationships with your community is a really important. When you take the time to get to know and understand your community, you start to learn what your community needs and how your service or product can enhance the community. I also think it’s a great way to meet other business that have the same passion you have. You can start to build relationships with them and in doing that you can help each other grow."



"One of the ways I would love to see my business grow is to be able to have a studio shop with a gallery attached to display and sell furniture pieces. I would also like to focus on building more sculpture furniture that not only works as furniture but is also considered art."

Where You Can Find Out More

Check out Ward & Weston on their website to get to know them and see past projects!

www.wardandweston.com

Email is tony@wardandweston.com

Facebook is @wardandweston


By Kayla Cote 29 Oct, 2023
The top 5 tips to craft lasting impressions and master your professional brand presence using promotional materials.
By Kayla Cote 22 Nov, 2022
Brining the Doubting Thomas Farms Brand to Life
By Kayla Cote 17 May, 2019
photography by M.Schleif Photography
By Kayla Cote 10 May, 2019
Amongst our busy schedules and attempting a work-life balance it can be hard to find time to simply be- be in the moment, be at rest and be content. As our phones vibrate our pockets and as our calendars notify us continually, the only way we can simply "be" is to be intensional about it. Once we create space in our day for time, the next thing to do is fill that time with something valuable and that makes us feel good. My dear friend, Heidi Moore, has done just that. Heidi is a freelance artist working in mainly acrylics and watercolor paints. She also draws with ink, graphite and pastels.
By Kayla Cote 03 May, 2019
Photography: Cote Creative | Model: Alexandra Martin | Kimono: Crafty Ninja
By Kayla Cote 17 Apr, 2019
North Dakota born and raised, Ashton Hauff may be a name that sounds familiar to you. Not only has she been actively designing for brands in her area, she's been working hard bringing together creatives in all industries through her community group, Makewell . I first met Ashton while attending a Makewell event in Bismarck, North Dakota. I knew there was something special at that event, something I had never experienced before at a meet up event. I walked away with so much drive and momentum with so many creative ideas to help me move forward in my business. As a creative designer myself, I found inspiration within my conversations with Ashton and wanted to share her journey being a founder, designer and philanthropist. In our interview, she sheds light life as a creative in business and the importance of community. She also shares her perspective on philanthropy. Did you know she likes to volunteer her photography 1 - 3 times a year to mission organizations? In the past she's been to places like Tijuana, Madrid, Nairobi, and Verrettes in Haiti. If you ask me, I think that's pretty cool!
By Kayla Cote 10 Apr, 2019
Whether you're a small business just starting up or a large corporation on the verge of a rebrand, how you tell your brand's story is crucial to in how you communicate with your customers. There are so many pieces of the puzzle that come into play when it comes to the topic of branding and with the help of my dear friend and marketing maven, Emily Nickel, we hope to shed the light on a few of your daunting questions and help you find success in your brand communication.
By Kayla Cote van Rensburg 03 Apr, 2019
How to communicate in an oversaturated world
By Kayla Cote van Rensburg 27 Mar, 2019
Creative Fashion Designer Laura Concetta
By Kayla Cote van Rensburg 20 Mar, 2019
Dale and Kristin Kruger, a husband and wife team, specialize in one-of-a-kind unique jewelry made with brass and silver metals, gemstones, leather, Swarovski crystals and ethnic and glass beads. Along with jewelry design, the midwestern couple have a daughter who is a medical student at UND, and a very pampered cocker spaniel. They've also recently celebrated their 25 year in marriage. Over the last couple of years I've had the chance to get to know the team of Bohemian Blu while working along side them at vendor shows and Bazaars. We've visited each other's booths and talked about life in the creative design world. At the most recent show, Unglued Craft Fest , they were situated across the isle from where I was located, when a beautiful pink set of chandler earrings caught my eye. They were unlike any piece I'd seen before, polished yet raw, dainty yet organic, and bit quirky, much like myself. They inspired me, and I then knew then I wanted to share their story as designers, makers and creatives.
Show More
Share by: