Just before my fiancée and I moved to Kelowna last October, I had done a huge Internet search on the plethora of design-related businesses and suppliers in the city.
To my sheer delight, I stumbled upon a fabulous family-run, local company that designs and builds amazing solid wood furnishings and architectural elements.
If you haven’t heard of this newish outfit (it opened just shy of March in 2014), I wouldn’t be too surprised…they’re one of the Okanagan’s best kept secrets!
MASTER WOODWORKER
Shawn and Carlee Wiebe are the brilliant husband and wife team behind Eternal Timber & Design.
On any given work day, you’ll find Carlee at their spacious, fully-stocked showroom running the day-to-day of small business life.
Nestled in amongst some pretty high-end neighbouring businesses that also cater to the design and renovation sectors, Eternal Timber & Design is one of the first companies to set a stake in the newly developed Airport Business Park in Kelowna on Innovation Road.
While Carlee mans the showroom, Shawn is out making the magic happen.
Originally from the Grande Prairie area of Alberta, Shawn Wiebe began his career in the framing industry, before his passion for timber post and beam design eventually steered him out of home building and into more of a creative and freelance opportunity.
With a move to Oyama in 2000, the Wiebes brought a sawmill with them to set up on their acreage, allowing for an increased ability to produce and work with large-scale timbers.
Initially designing and fabricating stunning exterior pergolas, staircases and decorative beam work for several local landscapers and home builders, Eternal Timber’s impeccable quality and eye for detail has not gone unnoticed by developers, designers or homeowners alike with a penchant for organic, high-end interior wood details and furniture.
REUSABLE & SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
The stories behind the timber and slab furniture hand-crafted by Shawn make every piece unique.
Eternal Timber also buys the majority of their Douglas fir, maple, and Washington-area redwood from a Vancouver-based company that focuses on sustainable timber clearing methods.
The material the Wiebes hand-select and bring in has been cleared off developed property or from residential property with overgrowth, and resold to fabricators and woodworkers throughout British Columbia and neighboring U.S. States.
With a focus on local materials and production, Eternal Timber sources nearly all of their materials within the Okanagan area, and in collaboration with Middlebench Metal Works (local metal artist Roland Derks).
The Wiebes and Derks scour local scrap yards to reclaim material for use as custom bases and hardware—all hand forged by Derks.
GORGEOUS FURNITURE
You name it—Shawn has built it. Dining and bar tables with inlaid stone and metal, timber bedroom suites, shelving and kitchen island units, sliding interior barn doors, exterior terrace furniture, even large-scale office boardroom tables and reception millwork, and wine tasting tables.
Eternal Timber has an impressive client list that spans from auto dealerships, wineries, and corporate offices, to top builders, designers, and numerous homeowners throughout the Grande Prairie to Kelowna areas.
But the true passion for both Carlee and Shawn lies in the collaboration of working with their clients from start to finish.
The craft of taking an idea and hand molding it into a one-of-a-kind piece of living art is what makes Eternal Timber & Design a must-see destination spot, and incredible success story.
Stop in and tour their showroom at 1595 Innovation Rd., or check out their website eternaltimberanddesign.com.
