Josh King’s Royal Blue Woodworking is named for his first dog, Bud, a blue Great Dane. For six years King studied at Colorado’s Red Rocks Fine Woodworking College, where, as he puts it, he got to learn from “eight different Michael Jordans.” King has now been a full-time fine woodworker for 12 years, though Bud has sadly passed on.
The craft of fine woodworking is, simply put, “not IKEA,” King says. Each piece is handmade with real wood and primarily bound by wood joinery (as opposed to synthetic joinery like nails or staples). King has extensive experience creating classic American furniture in the form of bookcases, dressers, coffee and dining room tables, and cabinetry using a variety of wood species and types, including reclaimed barn wood. Some pieces also feature dramatic marbled epoxy inlays.
But furniture isn’t all King makes. He also crafts an ever-rotating inventory of wooden novelties: think custom keepsake boxes, book stands, Japanese-inspired Shoji screens and even powwow drums. Marquetry wall art mixes natural wood tones with colorfully stained sections for a dramatic effect. There’s even a selection of gorgeous, often freeform, fishing nets featuring wood inlay handles. King also takes custom orders. “Whatever you can think of with your brain, I can make it with wood,” he says.
For custom orders, choose a variety of wood you really love, and King will work with you to decide on dimensions that will be just perfect for your space. “If you were to want a bigger piece, like a dining room table, you’d be invited over to the shop,” he says. His shop happens to be located right on his gorgeous property, where he lives with his family and of course his current Great Dane, Duncan.
