Marais Woodworks

Marais Woodworks Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Marais Woodworks, Carpenter, Richmond, VA.

Marais Woodworks offers custom 3D designed woodworking services and delivers reliable, affordable handyman services to help homeowners tackle their to-do lists and keep their homes stress-free.

35,000 views! 🎉When I started my business in May of 2025, I had no idea where this journey would take me. Seeing that th...
10/02/2026

35,000 views! 🎉

When I started my business in May of 2025, I had no idea where this journey would take me. Seeing that the Marais Woodworks page has now reached more than 35,000 views is pretty incredible.

But the number itself isn't really what I'm most grateful for.
It's the referrals. The recommendations. The people who share my work with friends and neighbors. The customers who have trusted me with projects in their homes and businesses. And everyone who's been following along as I've worked to build Marais Woodworks into something I'm genuinely proud of.

The response has been tremendous, and my schedule has certainly reflected it! 😁

So, thank you to everyone who has supported, referred, recommended, followed, liked, shared, or simply taken an interest in what I'm building.

We're just getting started.
35,000 views and counting. ❤️

— Donavan
Marais Woodworks

Another project wrapped up for KW Metro Center!After recently moving into their new space, KW Metro Center asked Marais ...
10/01/2026

Another project wrapped up for KW Metro Center!

After recently moving into their new space, KW Metro Center asked Marais Woodworks to recreate their photo gallery wall featuring 45 individual frames arranged in a 5 × 9 grid.

The challenge was creating a layout that was clean, consistent, and secure while making sure every frame stayed properly aligned.

My solution was to fabricate 45 individual 3" × 1½" × ¼" mounting cleats, cut to mate with the cleats already attached to the frames and painted black so the hardware virtually disappears behind them.

From there, the new wall was carefully measured and laid out, the cleats were individually anchored in position, and all 45 frames were installed with consistent spacing throughout the gallery.

A lot of measuring, a lot of little cleats—and a pretty satisfying finished result. 😁

Thanks to KW Metro Center for trusting Marais Woodworks with the project!

Big shout out to Catherine E Curran for referring me!

Marais Woodworks
Custom woodworking • installations • home projects
Richmond, VA

Spray booth 3.0 is in motion and working great. Takes less than 5 minutes to set up and the same to roll up the sides.
09/29/2026

Spray booth 3.0 is in motion and working great. Takes less than 5 minutes to set up and the same to roll up the sides.

Over the last few days, I’ve continued dialing in the finishing setup here at Marais Woodworks — improving the spray are...
09/28/2026

Over the last few days, I’ve continued dialing in the finishing setup here at Marais Woodworks — improving the spray area, controlling the environment, and working toward a finishing process that delivers the kind of professional, cabinet-quality results I want leaving my shop.

Today was another step forward. I made the switch to the Renner Wood Coatings 2K system, a professional coating system designed specifically for cabinetry and millwork.

A big thank-you to Stacey Alpi Spear with S & S Painting for pointing me in this direction and sharing some of her knowledge and experience with the Renner system. Having good people in the trades who are willing to share what they’ve learned is invaluable, and I really appreciate her guidance.

One of the things I enjoy most about building Marais Woodworks is that the shop and the process are never really “finished.” There’s always another jig to improve, another process to streamline, another tool to master, and another way to produce a better finished product.

The cabinetry is coming together, the finishing setup keeps improving, and I’m excited to put the Renner system to work. 👊

Marais Woodworks
Custom Woodworking • Richmond, VA

Behind the Build: The finish starts long before the paintOne of the things I’m learning as Marais Woodworks grows is tha...
09/26/2026

Behind the Build: The finish starts long before the paint

One of the things I’m learning as Marais Woodworks grows is that building a great piece is only half the job. How you finish it matters just as much.

Today was about more than putting primer on cabinetry.

I’ve been experimenting with the layout of my small shop and developing a temporary spray area that gives me better access around larger pieces, helps control overspray, and allows finished pieces to move into a separate drying area without disrupting the rest of the process.
And, like most things in woodworking, the first version wasn't necessarily the best version. 😄

A few changes later, I had a setup that worked considerably better — and the first cabinet is now through its initial coat.

That first coat also does something incredibly useful: it reveals the little imperfections that are difficult to see during construction. A tiny brad hole. An edge that needs a little more attention. A seam that looked perfect in bare wood but suddenly becomes visible under a uniform finish.

Those get addressed before the final finish ever goes on.

That's something I'm becoming increasingly deliberate about at Marais Woodworks: build, evaluate, learn, improve, repeat.

Whether it's the cabinetry itself, the tools I use, or even the way the shop is arranged, there's always an opportunity to make the process a little better.

Because ultimately, improving the process improves the product.
And that's the part the customer eventually gets to take home.

— Marais Woodworks

Behind the Build: The things you don't see in the finished product.Building custom cabinetry and furniture isn't just ab...
09/24/2026

Behind the Build: The things you don't see in the finished product.

Building custom cabinetry and furniture isn't just about making accurate cuts and tight joints. Sometimes the challenge is something you can't even see — like the air in the shop.

I've been working on improving the temperature and humidity control in the Marais Woodworks shop, particularly when it comes to finishing.

Why?

Because you can spend countless hours building a beautiful piece, but the finish is what ultimately protects it and brings all that work together. Temperature and humidity can affect how paint and other finishes apply, dry and cure, so creating the right environment is just as much a part of the process as sanding, joinery or assembly.

It's one of those behind-the-scenes details most people will never see in the finished piece — but it's also one of the many small things that can make the difference between finished and finished well.

Running a small woodworking business seems to provide a never-ending supply of problems to solve. 😁

And, strangely enough, that's one of my favorite parts of it.

— Marais Woodworks

A little sneak peek at what’s been happening in the Marais Woodworks shop…I’ve been pretty quiet on here for the past fe...
09/17/2026

A little sneak peek at what’s been happening in the Marais Woodworks shop…

I’ve been pretty quiet on here for the past few weeks, but definitely not because the shop has been quiet.

I've been working on a pair of custom built-in bookcases, and they're finally reaching the point where all of the individual details are starting to come together — inset cabinet doors, framed side panels, architectural trim, hardwood shelf edges, crown molding and plenty of little details that probably won't be noticed individually once everything is finished… but collectively make the difference.

The fabrication stage is nearly complete. Next comes the part that changes everything: final prep, primer and paint.

I'm deliberately not showing the whole build just yet. 😉

A few details for now. The finished pieces will have their moment soon.

Marais Woodworks
Custom cabinetry • Built-ins • Furniture & woodworking
Richmond, Virginia

Busy working on an exciting new woodworking project for a very patient client of mine, who has been waiting for this bui...
08/20/2026

Busy working on an exciting new woodworking project for a very patient client of mine, who has been waiting for this build to get done.

The project entails building two identical bookshelf cabinets with storage underneath. Each will comprise two parts, the upper and lower cabinet. The lower cabinets will have inset doors with soft-close hinges, adjustable shelves, custom made trim and detail, and the finish will be satin white paint.

The upper cabinets will have five adjustable shelves, and then secured to the lower cabinet with dowel pins and screws. The finish will be a white satin paint.

These cabinets are built this way to aid in transportation, delivery, and set up.

Another happy customer! The nursery is almost ready to welcome their new baby boy!!Before and after...Project entailed ...
08/19/2026

Another happy customer! The nursery is almost ready to welcome their new baby boy!!

Before and after...

Project entailed installing board & batton wainscoting and painting the room thereafter.

Helping my customers with an exciting project to install board and batton wainscoting in their nursery. Tomorrow I'll ap...
08/18/2026

Helping my customers with an exciting project to install board and batton wainscoting in their nursery. Tomorrow I'll apply another coat of paint and then paint the rest of the room. One of the highlights of my day is having a furry friend to keep me company while I work.. especially when I get kisses. Tiffany is going to be all kinds of jealous when I get home.

Address

Richmond, VA
23235

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18046016292

Website

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