R Wood Works

The Art of Custom Creation

By Chelsea Chambers

There is something incredibly rewarding about building with your hands. There is an inherent joy in the art of making, in the art of woodworking. And for the Ruperts, woodworking has become so much more than just creating—it’s become a business. Together, they’ve transformed their passions and hobbies into something that they can share with the world.

R Wood Works is the brainchild of Idaho couple, DJ and Ashley Rupert, and what started as a loving gift for his wife has transformed into a full-fledged company. The gift—an iconic wooden Idaho chair—spurred the couple to start R Wood Works, and with their can-do attitude in tow, they’ve seen great success.

And it’s true, DJ wasn’t the most experienced woodworker, but with support from his father-in-law and the help of various YouTube videos, he was able to learn the ins and outs of rudimentary woodwork. And from there, the creativity began to flow. With his design-oriented wife by his side, R Wood Works is continually growing and expanding.

So how exactly does a homemade gift to your wife become a profitable—and fun—side business? Both born and raised in the Treasure Valley, they each have a deep affinity for the Gem State, prompting DJ to hand-craft a custom Idaho-shaped chair for Ashley, who promptly posted it to her social media account. Almost immediately, they began receiving requests from people that wanted an Idaho chair of their own. And the rest is history!

The couple is consistently trying to challenge themselves with new, unique, and creative ideas, “We take custom orders and requests and we actually really enjoy them! The crazier the better!” explained DJ.

While the business isn’t their fulltime job, it is something they are both extremely fond of and is a great way to spend their spare time, creating and building together, as both an outlet for their individual creativity and a great way to share their passion with Idaho.

“We really just take things one day at a time, but we are trying to grow our small business, and we look forward to seeing what the future brings. We started out using the trash can lids on the side of our house, because we didn’t have a workbench. We’d like to inspire people into knowing that you don’t have to have all the fancy odds and ends to make things happen,” they shared.

If you are interested in learning more about DJ, Ashley, and R Wood Works or would like to make a woodworking request of your own, visit their website at idahochair.com or check them out on Facebook or Instagram @r.wood.works.