Why the name "Faroe"?

The name Faroe Woodworks comes from Fårö Island, Sweden. I'm a massive film buff and some of the more interesting films to watch, er, "take in" are from the Swedish master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. He filmed several features on this remote island, fell in love with the landscape and the people; and moved there. He had several buildings on a large estate where he eventually filmed many more movies. The films are slow, minimal and stark but set within hauntingly beautiful scenery. "Persona" is amazing and that's the one that led me down the Fårö path. 

It was actually the look of the homes as well as the amazing natural wood elements all within the interiors that stuck with me.

I would google "Ingmar Bergman Faroe Islands" funnily enough, before realizing that those Danish islands are indeed different than this elusive Swedish one. It was only fitting to bridge them together, as I typed Faroe over and over again, mining the images for carpentry inspiration and to look at such neatly designed and visually inviting homes. I would imagine myself sitting on a beautiful, comfortable handcrafted wooden chair in his library and read books off the shelves for hours with a piping hot cup of coffee with the steam rising and drifting. The rooms are simple, elegant and rustic, but with a refined and studied craftsmanship. The woodworking is not showy, the remote island reclusively dispels the look-at-me of more modern eras, the homes are understated and beautiful, both to live in and to frame visually in that cinematic magic of his. 

So when I began visualizing my carpentry company and what we would stand for, look like, and be inspired by - Faroe - was all the direction I needed. 

Try Saying This Three Times Fast - Skogskyrkogården

This past May my partner, Madeleine, and I were able to take a tiny bit of time from work to travel. We chose a few days in Iceland and then five days in Stockholm, Sweden. There is an inherent magic to Scandinavia and all of what defines it. The rugged, rustic landscapes of Iceland and the clean, perfect beauty of Stockholm were an engaging contrast. For myself, it was the chance to see up close the building practices and beautiful woodwork design that I have been passionately researching online and inspecting in Scandinavian films. The Swedish platform framing model is a more advanced way of looking at how we frame wood houses, with the simple but smart philosophy of the insulation being the most important factor in the wall system.  The minimal, practical and often elegant woodworking in homes and commercial spaces was superb eye candy for this eager carpenter. The way we choose to finish our surroundings and living spaces with wood trim, shelves, doors, windows or mouldings will always be interesting to me. And how we use these wood elements, not only as a building practice to cover gaps or seams, but also to bring that space warmth, energy, and life. 

One of the highlights of our trip was our visit to Unesco World Heritage Site, Skogskyrkogården, the Woodland Cemetery. The landscape, history and architecture of this very spiritual place were astounding. We took many, many photographs but I would like to share some of the photos of the woodwork.