“I t can’t be compared to what he puts out today,” Lisa laughs. “But it’s lasted 45 years, and it’s still used.” In fact, she says, “everything in our house is handmade by Joe.” Nothing could paint a clearer picture of Joe Dunphy’s incredible craftsmanship. Joe is the namesake cabinetmaker at Joe Dunphy Custom Woodworking, an Island- based custom cabinetry shop that’s served PEI for three decades. “We started out of the basement,” recalls Lisa, the business’s bookkeeper. “We built our first workshop, in our backyard, the same year our son Michael was born. Through the years, we added pieces on as we grew.” The brand’s transformation from backyard business to Island success story faced a major challenge five years ago. “In 2013, a fire burnt our workshop to the ground. We lost everything,” Lisa recounts. “The only thing we were able to haul out was a box of pencils.” Joe Dunphy Custom Woodworking survived that workshop fire, and the Dunphys chose that moment to expand their business’s scope. “We started from scratch, building a new workshop next to our home,” Lisa explains. “That gave us the opportunity to evolve the way we did things. Now
everything in the workshop is new. It’s state- of-the-art.”
mirrors their mental picture. “Before we start cutting the kitchen, the client knows what it’s going to look like.” The shop also provides itemized quotes listing each element of a project, enabling clients to finetune according to budgetary requirements. Once clients settle on a kitchen design, the Joe Dunphy Custom Woodworking team will visit their home for measurements; cut, assemble, and finish the project; and install it in the client’s home. Countertops and hardware may also be ordered through the shop. The warranty on Joe Dunphy’s handiwork is impressive: “we guarantee our kitchens forever,” Lisa says. That 45-year-old dresser in the Dunphy’s own home is the proof.
As the Dunphys rebuilt, their “family business” status was a source of strength. “Our son Michael was instrumental in bringing our business into the future, where it needed to be,” Lisa says. Nowadays, she notes, Michael continues to work for the shop two days each week; the Dunphys’ four grandchildren are also a frequent presence at their showroom. Custom cabinetry is Joe Dunphy’s stock-in- trade. Two model kitchens are displayed at the business’s St. Peters Road showroom- -one classic wood, one frameless white Shaker. Nowadays, Lisa says, savvy Islanders use Joe Dunphy’s services to craft clever, creative, individualized kitchens: for example, by pairing white kitchen cabinets with custom-coloured islands. “They can choose any colour at all.” Joe Dunphy Custom Woodworking specialties include, not only kitchens, but also laundry rooms, built-in bathroom vanities, and custom walk-in closets. “Some are quite elaborate – like things you’d see in a home design magazine.” Design technology available through the showroom and workshop allows clients to view potential kitchens as digital mock-ups, enabling them to tinker with colour, finish, and placement until the finished product
Joe Dunphy Custom Woodworking 7997 St. Peters Road, Morell 902.961.2848 www.joedunphy.com
FALL 2018 www.pei-living.ca
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