Troy Brook Studios

You are known as a fine furniture maker, how did you segway into making spoons/utensils?
With sustainability as a guiding force, I began repurposing our beautiful smaller pieces of North American hardwoods into a line of sculpted wooden cooking and serving utensils for professional and home kitchens.

How did it all begin?
I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture and wood. After college, my skills and design aesthetic morphed into an appreciation for functional art. That led me to furniture and ultimately to sculpted wooden utensils, vessels, and charcuterie boards.

Do you have a favorite wood to work with? Is it locally sourced?
I am partial to tiger maple, as I find the movement and character of the grain mesmerizing. Tiger maple is native to New England and there are a few sawmills that I have been collaborating with to source the pieces for many years.

We love your ebonized wood! What’s the process?
Ebonizing wood has been used by artisans for centuries to darken the color of wood for decorative and design purposes. We make our own solution, allow it to mature overtime to the desired strength and apply it to our utensils with our safe food finish. The darkest color, closest to black, is achieved when the solution is applied to woods naturally high in tannins such as walnut and oak.

Connection to Litchfield?
I grew up in Litchfield County on a small farm in Goshen. After college I came back to Northwest Connecticut and started my furniture studio shop in Litchfield. 16 years later, I moved the studio and gallery to our present location in a barn located three miles from the center of town.