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What is Bob Kloes?
Bob Kloes is the personal site of a custom furniture maker who builds figured-wood furniture by hand in America. Its main sections cover his work, background, custom furniture, and specialty hardwoods, with an invitation to get in touch about projects or general inquiries. The page also points visitors to Kloes Specialty Hardwoods for browsing Midwest and other hardwoods, and to his Instagram presence.
What you can do here
- Commission or inquire about furniture: Use the contact route for project questions and general inquiries.
- See past work: The “Past Work & Projects” section is where finished pieces and prior commissions are showcased.
- Buy wood rather than furniture: The hardwood shop is a separate destination for sourcing specialty lumber.
- Follow current work: Social media is the place for ongoing photos and updates.
Who it suits
- Someone wanting a one-off piece in figured wood rather than a mass-market furniture set.
- A woodworker or maker looking for specialty hardwoods from the Midwest and beyond.
- A past customer or follower checking recent projects.
If you are considering a commission, look through the past projects first, then reach out with your dimensions, wood preferences, intended use, and timeline so the maker can tell you what is feasible.
What types of custom furniture does Bob Kloes make?
Bob Kloes builds custom figured-wood furniture, handcrafted in America, with a focus on pieces that show off dramatic grain and figure rather than painted or veneered surfaces. The site presents this as his central craft, alongside his work supplying specialty hardwoods.
What the site indicates he makes
- Custom furniture, described as his main work and made to order
- Figured wood furniture, meaning pieces built around highly patterned boards such as curly, quilted or burl-figured stock
- Project-based work, since the site invites enquiries about "furniture projects" and general questions before you commit
What that means in practice
If you are considering a commission, the useful question is not just "what pieces do you make" but "what do you make from my kind of wood, and how will the figure be placed?" A maker who specialises in figured stock typically treats the board layout as a design decision: which face of the board becomes the top, how the grain runs across a drawer front, and whether a bookmatched pair is used. For a dining table, desk or cabinet, that choice affects both appearance and stability, because figured wood can move and work differently from plain stock.
A concrete scenario: you have a walnut crotch or a curly maple board you want turned into a table. The relevant conversation covers dimensions, finish, joinery and how the figure will be oriented, not a catalogue part number.
Next step
Use the site's "Looking for Info about a Project?" contact route to describe the piece, dimensions, wood and timeline. If you are mainly after materials rather than a finished piece, his hardwood side, Kloes Specialty Hardwoods, is the separate destination the site points to for browsing Midwest and other specialty boards. You can also see past work and projects there to judge the style before enquiring.
For broader context on American studio furniture, Furniture Society and Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers are official industry sources, though neither is connected to this maker.
How can I commission a custom furniture piece from Bob Kloes?
Reach Bob Kloes through the contact form on his site, Bob Kloes, under “Get in Touch.” The site lists “Looking for Info about a Project?” and invites inquiries about furniture projects and general questions, so that is the starting point for a commission. For wood selection, the site points to Kloes Specialty Hardwoods, where you can browse hardwoods from the Midwest and beyond.
What to include in your first message
- Project type and dimensions: table, desk, bench, cabinet, or other piece, with approximate length, width, and height.
- Wood preference: species, figure, color, or “specialty hardwood” direction. If undecided, say what look you want.
- Function and setting: indoor or outdoor, daily use, room style, and any matching pieces.
- Timeline and location: when you need it, and where the finished piece will live or be delivered.
- Budget range: a realistic range helps narrow options before design work begins.
A practical next step
Before writing, gather two or three reference photos and a simple sketch or measurements. Then send a short message: “I’m interested in a custom [piece] about [dimensions] in [wood/ look]. It will be used [how/where]. My timeline is [date] and my budget range is [range]. Can you tell me what information you need to move forward?”
Decision criteria
A custom commission makes sense when you need a specific size, wood figure, or design that stock furniture does not offer. If you mainly want a quick, low-cost piece, a production or retail option may be simpler. If the project is complex, expect a conversation about design, material availability, and scheduling before any work begins.
What specialty hardwoods does Bob Kloes offer for sale?
Bob Kloes' site points specialty hardwood buyers to a separate shop, Kloes Specialty Hardwoods, rather than listing species on the main page. The main site describes that shop as offering "a detailed selection of the finest hardwoods from the Midwest and beyond," so it is the place to check current inventory and species names. Bob Kloes
The same business also covers custom figured wood furniture and past work and projects, which suggests the hardwoods side is aimed at woodworkers, furniture makers and buyers looking for figured or specialty stock rather than general lumber.
How to check what's actually in stock
Start at the Kloes Specialty Hardwoods shop linked from the main site, since species, grades and availability change with each log or batch. If you have a specific project in mind, contact Bob Kloes directly through the "Get in Touch" section with the dimensions, species and figure you want; that is the practical way to confirm whether a piece suits your build before ordering.
How does Bob Kloes source his hardwoods?
Bob Kloes presents his hardwood sourcing through a separate side of his business, Bob Kloes, rather than detailing suppliers or harvesting methods on the main furniture page. The site directs visitors who want to know where the wood comes from to Kloes Specialty Hardwoods, described there as a selection of "the finest hardwoods from the Midwest and beyond." So the practical answer is that Bob Kloes sells and uses specialty hardwoods under the Kloes Specialty Hardwoods banner, with the Midwest as the stated regional anchor and additional stock sourced more widely.
What that means for a buyer
If you are commissioning a piece and want to know the provenance of the wood, the general sourcing language on the site will not tell you the exact forest, mill or supplier. The better path is to ask directly. The site invites project and general inquiries through its contact page, so a specific question like "which species and region is this table's top from?" is reasonable to raise before work begins.
- For furniture clients: Ask about species, region and whether the boards were air-dried or kiln-dried as part of your project conversation.
- For wood buyers: The specialty hardwood side is the place to browse species and figure, not the custom furniture gallery.
- For anyone comparing makers: Makers who run their own lumber operation often have more control over figure and color matching, but they may also have narrower species availability at any given time.
A useful next step
Browse the specialty hardwood selection first to see which species and figured boards are typically on offer, then use the contact form to ask about provenance for a specific project. If matching a set of boards matters to you, ask whether the same log or region can supply the whole piece.
Where can I see examples of Bob Kloes's past furniture projects?
You can see examples of Bob Kloes's past furniture work on his own site at Bob Kloes, under the "Past Work & Projects" section. That is the most direct place to browse finished pieces and get a feel for his style—custom figured wood furniture handcrafted in America.
What to look at and why
- Past Work & Projects: Best for seeing completed furniture, wood figure and finish. Use it to judge whether his aesthetic matches what you want.
- Kloes Specialty Hardwoods: His site points to a separate hardwoods shop for browsing specialty lumber. Useful if you are sourcing material yourself or want to understand the wood he works with.
- Social media: The site links to Instagram, where makers often post in-progress and finished shots more frequently than a portfolio page updates.
Practical next step
If a piece catches your eye, reach out through the "Get in Touch" section with a specific reference—mention the project or photo you liked, the piece type, approximate dimensions and your timeline. That gives him enough to tell you whether it is a good fit.
Decision criterion
Use the portfolio to answer one question: do you want that maker's hand and material sensibility, or just any custom furniture? If the figured-wood look is the appeal, his past projects are the right filter. If you need a different style or a faster turnaround, the portfolio will tell you quickly whether to keep looking.
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