About Us
Ace in the Hole Woodwork’s lead carpenter Gary Havener’s passion for his work with wood and his over 50 years of experience shines through his custom built furniture and woodworking pieces.
From bows to log homes to fine Wyoming furniture, he enjoys the challenge of making usable items while showcasing the individual beauty of the wood he made. While most people know his furniture, he also builds smaller pieces like knives, bows and even spoons. He prefers to let the wood determine that piece and not the other way around.
Gary’s work can be found in numerous private and public collections across the United States. He has exhibited his work in many fine art galleries including ArtConnect Gallery in downtown Laramie, Wyoming, Touchstone Laramie Exhibition by the Laramie Artists Project, as well as Blue Moose Gallery in Fort Collins to name a few. One of his notable recent commissioned projects was the Ark he built for the Jewish Community in Laramie, Wyoming.
Meet Gary
Gary Havener lives on the side of a mountain, in a cabin he built from logs he harvested and set himself. Inside the house are tables, bows, and even wooden spoons he has made himself. His work is distinctive, with smooth lines, carefully chosen hardwoods, and intricate joinery. Gary has been building with wood since he was a child, mostly practical things, although he has been known to carve even horses. He is the man who you will find under a table or chair studying the art of your house when you aren’t looking. Furniture and its construction intrigues him. Just don’t call him an artist. He says the creator of the wood he uses is the artists. What do you think?
Gary’s Unique Approach
Gary’s style is a unique, self-taught blend of Scandinavian smoothness and Asian joinery. All of Gary’s custom woodworking pieces use non-toxic environmentally friendly finishes. Gary prefers to use hand tools - Japanese as well as traditional European ones - to bring out the luster of lumber. The true beauty of many of his pieces lies in their joinery, which is often hidden from view but creates a stable, multigenerational piece.
He prefers working with sustainably harvested North American hardwoods and selects that wood directly from the small, owner-operated mills or hand-collects it. Walnut and spalted maple are his favorite woods to work with, although he often finds usual woods, such as spalted hackberry or mulberry at the mills. Because he produces one piece at a time, he can choose individual pieces of lumber for a specific piece.
Bringing out the beauty of a unique piece of wood is rewarding. Working with a client to blend the wood’s beauty with their dream is even more so. He has made complementary chip carved end pieces for an antique desk, and designed staircases to mimic those in a client’s favorite TV show.
Contact us to commission a piece of Wyoming furniture or custom woodworking
Your Ideas + Our Expertise = A Great Design