Koka Bora Creations
“As far as I learned how to do things, a quote by Albert Einstein comes to mind: ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.’”
About Stefan
It began when I purchased a few tools from Home Hardware and Walmart (yes, Walmart - they had a bag of 3 tools for $50 back in the day) and I set off to create a wardrobe. Cutting the huge sheets of melamine was fun for the store - I was brought up using centimetres and milimetres, but the store preferred inches and feet even though they had measuring tapes for both scales. With a little patience, all was done and I used the living room of the apartment as a workshop. I must say the wardrobe turned out quite well and I still use it to this day.
After the wardrobe, I did my kitchen counter top; and the leftover material was used to make a small corner bookcase, end tables, and a shelf. It wasn't too long before I bought real woodworking machinery and did my first custom order for a chest of drawers followed by a bathroom vanity. However, doing big projects from a living room of an apartment building was not quite comfortable - for me or for the neighbours. I needed a dedicated space and spent four months looking for a house with a good-sized garage which I could use as my workshop.
I found that house and spent an entire year renovating the workshop space: insulation, drywall, electrical, heat, ventilation, and flooring. I had the chance to build the shop according to my specifications, and I did. This workshop has been my headquarters ever since.
“As far as I learned how to do things, a quote by Albert Einstein comes to mind: ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.’”
About Koka Bora Creations
I was never formally trained in woodworking. Aside from a few one-day seminars, all that I've come to know has been through trial and "terror" method. It is my belief that the knowledge I have gained from experimentation has made me better at what I do. After all, you can't improve or grow if you can't push a few boundaries.
At first, I focused on custom made furniture. I have created bathroom vanities, chest of drawers, and blanket boxes. However, as time progressed I shifted my focus to more personal items that can be used daily. That’s when I discovered the writing instruments: wooden bodied pencils; rollerball, fountain, and ballpoint pens. Over the years they have become my best-selling item so far. In addition to that, I have also made home décor items: various wooden bodied lamps, or tree burls that have been made into wall decoration; and kid/teenager friendly items like games and longboards.
