We are only a small local business, but for some reason we came together to fulfill some VERY big dreams…
Intention leads to action.
Community starts within.
To believe in something – anything – is the first step to happiness.
Oh yeah, we think using old wood to make new things is, well, an example of all three of the ‘theorems’ above. But to keep it simple, let it be said that we make furniture. Really COOL furniture. We use as much vintage and recycled woods as possible and we sell from Seattle to San Francisco.
We never know what to say in large groups. We always talk out of turn, and we always take the side with fewer people. BUT…we make furniture. We make furniture for people like you. We hope you like us, but it’s more important that you like our furniture. It would make us very happy!
~Malachi & Tiffany
About Us
Malachi Milbourn: ATG Founder and Woodsmith
Hello, my name is Malachi Saul Milbourn, the Woodsmith. I truly love to create things! Especially Farm Tables from vintage woods! I am a full-time furniture maker, and I was Bourn to be a craftsman, you could say it’s in my blood. Although I never had a chance to work under my father and grandfathers, I was still able to pick up a little of their wisdom, and hone in on my own carpentry skills throughout life. My focused interest is with weathered Oregon Douglas-Fir Barn-wood, and it is where I find the creative inspiration to build functional artistic furniture.
Our niche lies in building and finishing primitive styles of furniture by re–using old wood, which gives our pieces a soulful look and feel, while also employing a more sustainable approach. We like to believe that we are not only beautifying our habitat, but more importantly, respecting our habitat.
I am from Tempe, Arizona. I was born in Yawkey, West Virginia and also spanned my childhood years in Goshen, Indiana, where most of my family is from. My family tree branches out with artists, and I grew up in a influential household with two older brothers that are talented illustrators and skateboarders. I’m a college graduate with a strong interest in business. I love nature and being outside, sk8teboarding, live music, guitar, historical volkswagens and schwinn bicycles, chillin’ with friends and family, organic foods and gardening, good brew and coffee, and meeting cool people.
I’m really impressed and inspired by artisans of all kinds. Aside from working with wood, I admire and dabble in the mediums of glass, metal, ink, and paint. I love to listen to music while I’m in the workshop, especially the artists Tool, Led Zeppelin, Dredg, and Lymbyc Systym. I’m inspired by my favorite great designers, the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and the graphic artist M.C. Escher. I believe in living free, sustainably, and peacefully, as much as humanly possible.
The southwest I grew up in is a sensational place to find an awesome perspective of nature. The desert is where I have had many amazing experiences, especially exploring the surrounding geographical variances of Arizona and Southern California. However, the northwest is absolutely outstanding! It is the complete change of bio–diversity and wildlife I was really missing out on. Oregon is a beautiful state and my heart now belongs to this place forever.
I have intertwined my visions into a unique artistry. My work is created special for each individual from any combination of ideas, the type and choice piece of wood used, its history, and whatever wild hair I get at any given moment. Most importantly, my hand-made furniture is made with love, and I am only happy when our people are happy. Against the Grain has continued to give us the privilege of meeting great acquaintances and new friends all along the way. Our aim is to provide a quality product and cultivate a thriving business that will simply provide us the means to continue improving our craft. Because that’s it, we love what we do!
I am grateful for all the positive energy I receive from my friends. Many of the internal business operations my girlfriend and associate Tiffany Korf helps me organize behind the scenes. I am also very happy to obtain all the healthy massage therapy, love therapy, and nourishing foods, herbs, and supplements she consistently provides for me. My honorable mentions go out to my friends Joel Verdon and Kevin Poest in Portland for the professional wood-working tips they have handed down. They have openly invited me to learn from their teaching of separate trades and support the development of my own style.
Special thanks to Powell’s Books and Woodcrafters for letting me wander their library for hours, studying over a plethora of wood working tutorials. I’m also lucky for the business and marketing advice shared by my friend and web-designer Kim Stone, of Blink New Media in Eugene, Oregon. As a contribution, this is what has become an amazing personal art-form that other people really enjoy. How fun!
I’d like to thank my grandfather, David Milbourn, for instructing me how to appreciate and use tools at a young age. I was given the opportunity to experiment with a lot of different tools, if I leaned how to take care of them first. As a boy, my family probably thought I’d somehow get into the business of sk8board ramp construction or historical vw restoration. I was always playing outside the house, either trying to get my bicycles, roller-blades, and sk8boards to go as fast and high as I could, or fixing my broken micro-bus on the drive-way. From there, my wood-working colleagues have taken the baton and visually shown me how to apply my grandfather’s guidance. Not only to make something well-made, challenging, and functional, but to create something that will remain in this world long after I’m gone.
There are so many more people I would like to thank for making Against the Grain possible, but honestly it would take a lot of work to list them all. Mostly, I look forward to meeting more cool people along the way, and adding to that list. There is so much to be thankful for. Thank you for your interest and I hope to cross paths with you in the future. Peace!
