Gary Odendahl & River’s Edge Woodworks

I did not know it at the time but my passion for woodworking started at an early age.  I used to watch my father build and repair things around the house and, as I got older, I began helping him in his endeavors.  When I was 13, I took my first woodworking class in middle school and that is when the spark ignited.  From that point woodworking became a part of who I was and who I would be.  During my high school years, I was lucky enough that woodshop was an optional part of the curriculum.  I spent a lot of time there to the point where other faculty complained to the woodshop teacher for allowing me to “miss” their classes.

Throughout college, and for several years after, woodworking continued to be a passion. I would build things for myself, my friends, or my family and occasionally get paid for them too. Eventually I was accepted in a program at the renowned North Bennet Street School in Boston and the world of woodworking was truly opened to me. That little spark that ignited all those years ago became a raging passion for simply creating.  As time went on, I realized that it was not just woodworking that I enjoyed, but the act of building things that are both beautiful and functional.

My desire to craft furniture, cabinetry, and pieces of art reflect that passion to bring beauty and esthetics into our lives.  Our drive at River’s Edge woodworks is that every project that comes out of the shop brings joy and pride to its owner.  I hope that each piece that we create will be a thing of beauty, crafted with care and attention to detail, form, and functionality.