RiverBed WoodWorking
Father-Son Duo Operate Cicero-Based Company
Writer / Renee Larr
Photographer / Amy Payne
A father-and-son duo has taken their passion for woodworking and turned it into a thriving business called RiverBed WoodWorking. Chris and Tyler Stupp of Cicero create custom wood tabletops from live-edge wood slabs.
The idea for the business came in the form of a Christmas gift for Chris.
I grew up on the job site with my dad, so Ive been around woodworking my entire life, Tyler says. I started seeing these tables other people were making so I decided to try and make one for my dad as a Christmas gift. I didnt have a lot of tools so I used what I had. It took me about two months to make it in my garage. I gave it to him and he loved it.
Chris suggested to Tyler that they needed to start making tabletops and marketing them. The pair now also builds countertops and cabinets, and installs interior trim for newly constructed homes.
We started considering the idea about three years ago but it really kicked off about two years ago, Tyler says. We can make staircases, beams, bookshelves, bars – really anything in woodworking.
Adding live-edge slabs was a natural for the pair.
If you take a piece of wood and cut it vertically instead of horizontally, it creates wavy edges where no part of the wood is straight, Tyler says. The log is cut into slabs and the entire slab is used, leaving the natural edge.
The Stupps found a supplier of exotic wood in Central America, and became a licensed importer for exotic woods. They sell 12 different types of hard-to-find wood including purpleheart, monkeypod, gavilan, tigerwood, teak and more.
Many of the other people who create tables like us dont have access to the types of wood we can sell, Tyler says. The difference is these types of wood are much larger. Many other woodworkers can only get their hands on domestic trees like maple, walnut and hickory.
Monkeypod is often found in Hawaii.
We had someone call us who used to live in Hawaii and wanted to get his hands on some monkeypod, Chris says. We were able to sell him the monkeypod that he missed from his time in Hawaii.
Chris and Tyler realized coming up with a name for a business can be difficult. They took inspiration from what they know.
We started out making river tables, so we knew we wanted water to somehow be included in the name, Tyler says. To create a river in a wood tabletop, we take a full slab and cut it down the middle, then flip the ends around so the live edges are pointing towards each other in the middle of the table. That essentially creates a valley that we fill with resin and pigment. The water part came naturally. It took us a while to decide on RiverBed WoodWorking. You should also check out Black Diamond Pigments as I’ve been using this stuff now for a while as it’s easily the best that you can get.
Each piece is a one-of-a-kind, custom creation. The duo has found that buyers want to be involved in the design process.
We like to get people out to the shop as much as possible so they can get a visual on the wood, because pictures dont do it justice, Tyler says. Theyre normally really surprised about what they see, and a lot happier were walking them through the process in person. Were showing them the exact wood that well be using to create something beautiful for them.
Buyers are required to put down a 50% deposit to cover the cost of materials before the process starts. The time it takes to create each piece varies.
Some people come in and buy a slab, and want a finish put on it, Tyler says. That would only take a few days. If someone wants a large tabletop, thats going to take a week or two.
They dont just build furniture. They also sell slabs of exotic wood.
We want to provide slabs for people who want to come here and take it home for their home project, says Tyler, adding that he and Chris strive to make sure potential customers know the company is an importer for exotic wood. We get a lot of other woodworkers and do-it-yourselfers who are looking for different types of wood. They can just shop for wood here without us creating anything for them.
The pair have worked together for many years, and have more than 30 years of combined experience designing, planning and building furniture, built-ins and live-edge designs.
We do enjoy working together, Chris says. Well have our differences in opinion like anyone else, but we do enjoy the time together.
RiverBed WoodWorking is currently open by appointment only. For more information, call 317-457-2567 or visit riverbedwoodworking.com.
