Quality Heirloom Craftsmanship and Design

I think I was first introduced to Ocean View Woodworking though the wonderful, visual world of Instagram. I somehow found and started following their Instagram account and was continuously smitten with their beautiful handmade products, especially the cutting boards, that would come across my feed, all produced in beautiful Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia.

Last fall I reached out to Allan at Ocean View Woodworking see if they would like to take part in my Local Gift Guide Giveaway, and I can honestly say, I think the Live Edge Maple Cutting Board that he donated was one of the most talked about items in the guide. It was beautiful and just a tiny bit difficult to give away. 😉

Besides the beautiful handcrafted products that Allan makes in his little studio in Blue Rocks, what I also loved since meeting him, was hearing his story of how he ended up settling here on the South Shore. Allan and his wife traveled to Nova Scotia for a vacation from their home in Ontario in 2008. They fell in love with the South Shore area and ended up coming back several times, eventually buying a vacation home. It was the charm of our small towns, the lure of the ocean and a sign on a business door, that simply stated “Closed. Back sometime” that convinced Allan and his wife to leave the rat race behind and aim for a simpler, less stressful life, permanently moving to Nova Scotia in 2012.

I love this story so much and I can’t really do it justice, as Alan tells it in a moving and magical way. 🙂 From that first vacation, to buying a home near the water, Ocean View Woodworking was created. Born out of Alan’s love of making and crafting from wood, Ocean View Woodworking specializes in creating heirloom quality pieces from locally sourced, sustainably harvested and reclaimed wood like Maple, Ash, Birch and Tamarack. A lot of the pieces have their own unique story of where the wood came from. How beautiful is that! You can read “From Firewood to Beautiful Cutting Board” on his blog to get an idea. This is craftsmanship at its finest.

Furniture, cutting boards and an increasing line of home decor pieces are some of the items regularly available from Ocean View Woodworking. With the addition of a piece of CNC machinery, personalized items are now also available. (Spoiler alert*** A personalized cutting board or butcher block will be my future go-to gift for any special occasion.) Imagine giving a newly wed couple, a beautiful butcher block…with their wedding date inscribed…that they can have and use in their kitchen every day. It’s like a piece of beautiful, functional art!

photo by Heidi Jirotka Photography

When Alan asked me what I would like inscribed on a Maple Cutting Block, my first thought was a special year in our lives, 2006- the year we moved to Moose Lake. We moved here when our children were 7(2) and 2. Pretty much most of their childhood and family memories will be from here. We’ve already celebrated many holidays, birthdays, proms and graduations. I love it and the year we moved here, after spending a year building our home, will always be special to me.

photo by Heidi Jirotka Photography

I should add that I’m not really a sentimental person, nor one to save things to “pass down”…until I got my “Moose Lake” Board. This feels like a family heirloom to me already and would love to see its use carried on by one of my children…long after I am done with cooking and serving. 😉 Handcrafted by an artisan with wood from sustainably managed woodlots..Ocean View Woodworking creates products with meaning and history.

photo by Heidi Jirotka Photography

Ocean View Woodworking also carries their own line of Board Butter and Oil to treat your boards to prevent them from drying out. I have a jar of the Rosemary Board Butter and it’s just lovely. Who knew treating your cutting boards could be so satisfying and peaceful? 😉 The Board Butters are a combination of Beeswax, Mineral Oil and Essential Oils that will help maintain your boards for years to come.

photo by Heidi Jirotka Photography

Ocean View Woodworking is available online with free shipping to Canada and the US. They are at the Lunenburg Farmers Market as well as at Jenny Jib, My Home Bay and The Trainyard General Store in Dartmouth. If you are a retailer who may be interested in carrying some Ocean View Woodworking pieces, feel free to contact them.

photos by Heidi Jirotka Photography

There are so many people working and selling at our local farm markets or online with unique and inspiring stories. People with passion and dreams. Allan is one of those people and I was so happy to be able to bring you the story of Ocean View Woodworking.

* Ocean View Wood Working provided me with a personalized Maple Cutting Block, but all opinions of this product are my own.