From cutting boards to custom cabinetry.
Our story begins with two heroes. One, a carpenter with an after-hours penchant for expressing his creativity through beautiful hand-crafted home goods and furniture. The other, a mechanical engineer working 9-5 on multi-million dollar projects for a big-box machinery supplier. Wait, did we say heroes? We meant two working professionals who happen to be brothers-in-law.
What became of this duo was a family business (a side-project, really) selling cutting boards, kitchen utensils, and custom furniture online and at farmers markets across the Midwest. Time after time, the customers who fell in love with the long-lasting craftsmanship of their newfound home goods began asking for more. The all-important shiplapped mudroom here, kitchen cabinetry there, until suddenly the team was overhauling entire spaces (which of course, was more in their wheelhouse than the kitchen utensils anyway).
Both subsequently made the leap to running the business full-time and in 2019, they began construction on their first dedicated BoWood wood shop. Despite a catastrophic rise in the price of construction materials and a worldwide pandemic in 2020, the business and the team grew 5x.
Today, with their decades of experience in project management and construction, the BoWood Custom Cabinetry team is building dream homes for their clients with unmatched craftsmanship.
Cabinetry that is designed to last and be passed down through generations with a timeless look and construction done right. Always striking the right balance between durability, sustainability, and aesthetics — and working to reduce waste in every step of the process along the way.
Payton Schirm
Co-founder & Project Manager
Payton is a mechanical engineer by trade with a decade of experience in multi-million dollar project management and sales. A dad of three girls, husband to his middle school sweetheart, Alexa, and the friendly face you’ll likely see most often.
Payton is a master in all things behind-the-scenes. Working with clients to understand their vision, working with the team to keep everything running on schedule , and on occasion — TJ even lets him sand a few things. When he’s not running a tight ship at BoWood, he’s usually coaching his girls in soccer or basketball, taking care of their growing herd of goats, or dreaming up his next big project.
TJ Bowen
Co-founder & Lead Carpenter
TJ has spent the past 20+ years working as a carpenter, doing everything from house framing, roofing, and general labor to fine cabinetry, furniture and finish work. His work is on display in some of the finest homes around the state of Iowa as he has developed a reputation for his finish work. A father of two and husband to wife, Whitney — when he’s not building custom cabinetry, he’s probably cooking up a mean batch of chili, training in Jujutsu, or enjoying the great outdoors with his kids.
TJ's primary role with BoWood is product production and manufacturing. When you bring in a challenging design, he is the creative craftsman behind everything you see and makes it all happen.
Learn more about our process here:
