Custom Woodworking

Jeffrey Vesci and Tony Reddick
Old School Furniture Kauai

Please tell us about your business. Vesci: We create locally made custom wood furniture and cabinets. We can do pretty much anything, as far as furniture is concerned. Some of the woods we use, for example, are koa and monkeypod, and we just did a custom DVD case out of tigerwood. We opened our business in 2013 and just opened our Hanamaulu showroom in June.

Why did you name your business Old School Furniture? Vesci: We wanted to get back to the old ways of making one piece at a time — quality wood that’s locally made.

Why did you start this business?Vesci: We like doing woodwork, and we realize that being on an island, we wanted to do something to help push sustainability along. A lot of the wood that we use, like koa and monkeypod, are from trees that were taken down locally. Tony has a background in woodworking and he convinced me to jump on board with him.

What is your background in woodwork?

Reddick: I’ve been a carpenter for more than 25 years and so I’ve built a lot of my own furniture.

Vesci: My background is in retail management for almost 25 years. I figured it was time to start doing my own thing instead of making money for somebody else.

How did you start this business? Reddick: When I moved here, I worked for a local lumber yard and decided that it’s hard to find solid-wood furniture. Most of what we have available on Kauai is particle board, which is only good for a short period of time, especially because of the moisture on the island. I wanted to make something more solid that will last for years.

Vesci: I was working with Tony’s wife Lana at Ace Hardware and we became friends, and he started talking about his ideas. I got excited, and that’s how we came together.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve created so far? Vesci: A koa vanity with a rare granite top.

What are some of your other creations? Vesci: We know that often people here have small lanais, small bedrooms, so we do a lot of storage solutions. For example, we can make lanai furniture that can be opened up and filled with various items.

We’ve also done closet conversions, where we can create a desk area in the small space.

What’s your favorite wood to work with? Vesci: I like monkeypod and its different tones — it has an interesting grain.

How long does a piece of your furniture last? Vesci: If you take care of it, you can probably hand it down to your grandkids.

What sets your business apart from others?Vesci: We’re affordable and we can provide custom, quality products.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your business? Vesci: Seeing the faces of people when they come in with an idea and we make it happen. They’re just ecstatic because it’s everything they always wanted.

Do you deliver? Vesci: Yes, we deliver to every part of the island.

How do you come up with designs? Reddick: People can bring in photos of what they’re looking for. When we first started, for example, we had customers bring in a photo from Crate and Barrel. They really wanted a piece of furniture from there but didn’t want to pay the shipping.

They gave us the picture and I finished the product, and they were totally amazed that it was exactly like it.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your business?

Reddick: Letting people know where we’re at.

Vesci: We’re located in what used to be the Hanamaulu Trading Co., and we really wanted to be a part of the comeback with all the local businesses moving back into the building.

What inspires you to get up every day and go to work? Vesci: I love the creative aspect of our business and coming up with solutions that work for our customers.

If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing? Reddick: Sitting on a beach. Vesci: Fishing.

Open Monday to Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. and by appointment
755-5587