Nick Offerman

Nick was taught to swing a hammer and countless other tools by his Dad, his grandfathers and his Uncles Dan and Don of Roberts Brothers Farms. In theatre school at the University of Illinois, he used these skills to begin working in the scene shop, under the tutelage of Kenny Egan. This paid off handsomely when Nick began his professional theatre career in Chicago, as he offset his meager acting income with building scenery and props for large equity theaters. By the time he moved to Los Angeles, he'd opened his own modest shop in a warehouse and begun collecting tools. Once in LA, Nick couldn't find as much scenery work, so he turned to building decks and cabins with his longtime friend Martin McClendon, another Illinois alumnus. Together, they fell under the spell of old-world furniture joinery, and, with Marty's help, Nick opened his shop soon after, where he continues to build furniture, small boats, and anything else that tickles his fancy.

RH Lee

Lee began working with wood at age 7, when she was enrolled in the Kids Carpentry program in her hometown of Berkeley, CA. Years later, while studying art and philosophy at Brown University, she got involved in set building for theater - incorporating her building skills with her interest in art. She worked as a scenic carpenter and instructor of scenic arts in small theaters around San Francisco for years before eventually moving into building interactive science exhibits for the Exploratorium museum. During her five years in the Exploratorium woodshop, Lee honed her skills in fine woodworking and started building furniture on the side. Since moving to LA in 2008, Lee has been managing Offerman Woodshop, as well as designing and building custom furniture on commission.

You can see more of Lee's work at leebuild.com

Josh Salsbury

Originally from Palo Alto, CA, Josh studied furniture and cabinetmaking at Cerritos College. Utilizing traditional joinery and construction methods, his work emphasizes honest craftsmanship. He is especially influenced by Shaker, Arts and Crafts, mid-century modern, and Asian design. When not at the shop, Josh enjoys cycling, snowboarding, and drinking IPA's.

Matt Offerman

Matt stumbled backwards into woodworking at the tender age of 23. He previously spent 7 years apprenticing as a grade school janitor, but upon moving to Los Angeles he spurned his dream to take up antique restoration at Shabby Chic. Matt quickly became the most adept carpenter of the 3 actors employed there. Although he enjoyed 3 blissful years touring California buying, hauling, and restoring antiques, he grew tired of painting furniture pink. Matt worked occasionally for OWS, but didn't find enough confinement for his spirit there, so he tried his hand at a variety of office jobs. Matt still had to get his furniture fix at night. And thank Jehovah he did. It was during these nighttime sessions that Matt discovered his true calling: not finishing furniture projects. It has been a magical 7 years now of not finishing pieces that has lead Matt to be OWS' resident Incompetence Marshall*. Come by the shop and see some of the pieces Matt hasn't finished.

*Fully certified.

Justin Goldwater

Justin somehow produced a useful cutting board in 8th grade shop class in Bakersfield, CA, and has been trying to recapture that feeling ever since. He studied art and anthropology at UCLA, then held such various professional posts as conservation intern at Big Bend National Park in southwestern most Texas, props artisan, scenic fabricator, animator, illustrator, and museum exhibition technician. In 2006 he helped co-found the Austin-based art collective Okay Mountain and continues to contribute to their multimedia projects. Most recently he has begun a transformation to fine wood craftsperson under the tutelage of the Offerman Woodshop team, whose 293 combined years of experience always manage to bring him back to junior high shop class, for better or worse.