New York transplants Kris and Josh Canter moved to the Berkshires on a whim 10 years ago, and the impulse decision has worked out wonderfully. Owners of JK Custom Furniture & Design, the two put emphasis on fine craftsmanship, which usually keeps them at their shop most of the time. When they do head out, Jacob's Pillow is a required destination, as is any event that connects them with hardworking and creative community members like themselves. Kris tells their story. We relocated here from Brooklyn in November of 2004. Josh's mother and stepfather had retired to the Berkshires years before and had decided to open a small theater in Great Barrington. Josh came up for a few weeks to do the renovations on the space and I was transitioning out of my job in the city, so I came up to help. I ended up doing all the drapery for the theater and Josh’s mom said, “You guys should move up here." Fast forward a few months and we were living in Great Barrington. Josh established our business and I went to work for his mom and here we are 10 years later.
We are a fine furniture and design company established in 2004 that serves Berkshire County as well as the surrounding areas and New York City. Beyond our custom furniture, we design and create a line of home accessories representing our mission of quality craftsmanship. We strive to deliver innovative and versatile furniture and home accessories that add character, warmth and an element of design to any home. All of our designs are meticulously handcrafted by my husband and myself using locally sourced materials. We get so much enjoyment when we hear someone say how happy they are with one of our furniture designs. Or when we meet someone and they spontaneously say, “I have one of your cheese boards and love it!" To have someone appreciate your hard work and feel like we have given them something that may be a cherished heirloom is a pretty awesome feeling. I have loved dance all my life so we are frequent visitors to Jacob's Pillow for all of their performances, particularly Inside/Out We try to go every week during the season because we just love the setting and vibe. Josh and I would love to stay in our shop, but we know going to events also allows us to meet other creative people. Berkshire Creative is a support that has allowed us to forge connections that have been great for our business. The Berkshires are a very special place to us. We are two city kids who left Brooklyn and came here and made a life for ourselves. We established a business, found friendships and discovered a community that welcomed us. We always tell people there is something about this place that just draws you in and you can’t leave.
