Wood be Art

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Brandy Kawulka, one of the founders and owner of the company, points out two key factors that guide how the company does business and that help set them apart in the industry.

“We bring proven and vetted trades specialists and high-quality materials supported by simple online communication tools for our clients with every job we do,” she says. “I always try to over communicate at every step along the way so that everybody knows what’s going on, when it’s going on, who’s coming, when they’re coming, and what’s the next step of the process even if I’ve talked about it a hundred times before.”

Her quality control and quality assurance are tied into what she calls “reverse engineering” that gives her a different perspective in the building process:

 “I’m a red seal cabinet maker and oftentimes we’re some of the last people into a project so I tend to look at things from that perspective.  I saw how errors early in the construction process caused issues for other trades that followed and the final product and I plan and manage our jobs to avoid these problems.”

“Then, also, I basically do a daily lap around the city to all of our projects making sure that the things that are supposed to be in place are where they’re supposed to be.  I try to head off any problems by having my boots on the ground, making sure when our sub trades have a question, I’m there to answer it.”

Another strong point for Wood Be Art is how accurate and transparent they are early in the process when it comes to the budget and cost of a project. Brandy says that she provides a five-to-six-page proposal that is full of details versus a few lines on a quote or estimate.

Brandy followed a somewhat unconventional path into the world of cabinetmaking from an early career as a professional ballet dancer. While touring the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) campus, she became fascinated with the joinery shop and decided that joinery and the wood medium were the right fit for her artistic abilities. After completing the ELTT program, she continued honing her skills on the job and completed the four-year apprenticeship program to become a red seal ticketed journeywoman.

Wood be Art had its beginnings more than 20 years ago when Brandy and her business partner, Paul Keller, decided to take the leap and open their own custom woodworking shop. Initially, their focus was on custom-made furniture and fine cabinetry.

“We all want to do really cool, architecturally interesting projects,” Brandy explains. “Woodworkers tend to want to build beautiful furniture pieces. We did do some of that work, beautiful dining tables, furniture-related things and then we also did a lot of really great kitchens to pay the bills. I did and still do the majority of the design work for them and became a boutique design-build firm that leans well into the bespoke realm.

These days, Brandy says that not many people come to Wood be Art “as very few people actually want to invest in furniture,” so the company has expanded today to offer complete general contracting and renovation services on small to large residential projects and small commercial projects.

“About nine years ago, I opened up the contracting side of what we do – put the shingle out if you will, so we take on full projects now. As a general contracting firm we provide clients with the full range of services they need from design to completion of an amazing renovation they are proud of. The types of projects we work on now include everything from just a bathroom or kitchen to additions and whole house or a whole condo renos.”

Wood Be Art has also branched out into the new construction arena with high-end garages and “she sheds” which can feature special details like stained glass, skylights, workstations and hidden features. The company also does a considerable amount of work that helps an aging parent age to remain safely in their homes for the long term.

“We have successfully completed a pretty big range of work,” Brandy says. “Not only do we do residential, but we also do quite a bit of commercial work with property managers and businesses that want to move into an office space and retail spaces.” This can include a kitchen space for staff or partitions for offices. “All the way through, our clients tell us they really loved the value and the craftsmanship that we bring to our projects. The majority of our business is repeat clients and referrals from past clients who refer us on to their family and friends, their networks.”

Brandy says Wood Be Art works to alleviate the anxiety that homeowners might feel as they undertake renovations. “I do work with a lot of first-time renovators. We have a number of homeowner guides prepared to help them with early decisions and understanding the process and once we’re working together we have a project management software that we use. The schedule is in there, there’s a client side and a builder’s side for the entry of notes, choices, confirmations, etc. We upload photos and files from the project and a lot more.

“It’s a fairly robust cloud-based system that allows the client to go in at any time and see what’s going on.  Clients can get really anxious about renovations and the system enables knowledge which, at the end of the day, is power.”

Brandy says that the longstanding relationships the company has with their roster of proven subtrades helps them produce quality work. She points out that maintaining a clear line of communication and prompt payment is appreciated by their subcontractors and is a good reason why they enjoy working with Wood Be Art.

“We’ve been working with a lot of our subtrades almost 10 years now, so there’s that built up knowledge base and trust between us and they know what my expectations are now. Really what it comes down to is communicating those expectations and demanding excellence,” Brandy says.

“We try to give them all the information that they need well ahead of time. I bring them in early. We do site walk throughs, talk about all the phases of the job, and where we’re going with this project. Anything that’s kind of funky or weird, we talk about as well so we’re on the same page.”

Brandy compiles a “site binder” for each job that includes project details like pictures, diagrams, drawings, and cut sheets. “Everybody has all the information that they could possibly need in the project space. They don’t have to go to their phone, they don’t have to go see something online. It’s all there. They can flip through the book. It’s usually got tabs that annotate the kitchen, the bathroom, the flooring, and the paint colors. Making sure that everybody has access to the resource is powerful and our trades seem to really appreciate that.”

Trades working with Wood Be Art also enjoy special perks during projects and when they’re completed. Brandy brings coffee to the worksite and gives gift cards or a bottle of wine to the workers at the conclusion of a job. She says it’s a way of saying, “Thank you for all the work that you do and see you on the next project.”

Brandy also hosts the podcast ‘All Things Renovation,’ which is designed to help listeners take a confident role in their next home renovation project. She says she started the podcast a number of years ago “to educate clients and the general population about renovation so they don’t end up having a bad experience.”

Topics discussed on ‘All things Renovation’ include how to hire a contractor, the ins and outs of kitchen and bathroom design, and the value and importance of women in trades. For more on the podcast, including how to listen, visit https://www. allthingsrenovation.com/.

Brandy is also working to recruit people to careers in construction at a time when the industry is seeing a labor crunch.

“We have such a shortage,” she says. “We’re suffering…it’s hard to find good people. People are retiring out and others are not wanting to do physical work and as a result, we’ve got a massive shortage. I’m using my small platform to try to advocate for more people to consider working in the trades, especially women because I think it’s a really fantastic opportunity.”

In addition to advocacy on her podcast, Brandy also sponsors a generous annual bursary for women in joinery and carpentry programs at BCIT. The Brandy Kawulka Joinery/Carpentry Bursary awards three $500 bursaries per year to students. Brandy established that several years ago because she feels passionate about encouraging women to go into the trades and also because she feels strongly about the results that a BCIT education can bring.  Recalling her own experience there, Brandy says “there is a tangible connection between the skill you’re learning and employment.”

Lastly, looking specifically to the future of Wood Be Art Renovations, Brandy has ambitious and innovative plans for the company’s growth.

“We’re always looking to grow the business, the revenue, and the projects,” she says. “From a project standpoint, I do love taking on a whole house. I get to work with people in an intimate way and really transform their whole house, not just one room. When you’re working with someone that long, you really get to know them and you’re creating a massive transformation in their home, bringing out a part of their identity that is reflected in what the home becomes and how it functions for them, I think that’s really powerful.”

“I love to work with clients who have some really interesting design ideas and I want to continue to work with clients who really want to have a showcase style house that shines in both form and function.”

“I’d love to get into that $5 to $10 to $15 million revenue a year range and have more project managers working with us, key carpentry teams and so forth. Ideally at the end of my career in this, I’d love to have a sellable entity. The succession plan could be several things from key members that work with us to take it over or for us or someone who just buys it outright.”

Lastly, Brandy is also looking into how Wood Be Art can utilize artificial intelligence (AI):

“I’ve got this fascination with AI and it’s mainly around the marketing piece of the business.  I think AI is definitely something we need to learn about and use in our company. We’ve relied on word of mouth and networking referrals forever. We really don’t do any advertising at all and we’ve built a fairly successful company but if we’re going to get to those lofty growth and revenue goals, we’re going to need to have a better marketing engine behind us. I think AI is a tool we’re going to have to embrace. AI will never replace hands on the tools, but it is a tool that we can embrace more in the construction sector.”