Our story
We’re a husband-and-wife team based in Warrensburg, Missouri. We’re both from the Midwest, but we met in Uganda while serving as Peace Corps Volunteers. We love exploring, soaking in the beauty of the natural world, and getting to know the people and cultures we encounter along the way. And in a busy, noisy world, we value simplicity and authenticity.
In the fall of 2014, we were preparing to move back to the US from Mombasa, Kenya, and pondering our next steps. After a decade of transition and travel, we were eager to settle somewhere, especially since we were then expecting our first child. It seemed the perfect time to act on a dream we'd had--a full time creative pursuit based on Nathan's love for woodworking and our desire to make beautiful, useful things. And Three Trees Workshop was born.
Since then, we've enjoyed designing unique, beautiful products, and interacting with wonderful people in our own community, all over the country, and around the world who have inspired us to keep on creating.
“Cynthia was amazing to work with, despite my unique and challenging specifications, and the product was absolutely beautiful! A stunning custom cribbage board with flawless carving and engraving that will make a beautiful wedding gift for our friends. I wholeheartedly recommend this shop for quality gifts and great service at a very fair price.”
Our values
Integrity
We hold ourselves and our work to a high standard. We make things that we would enjoy having and using, and we're as careful with each piece as we would be if we were making it for our own family.
Good work done well
Three Trees Workshop was born out of a desire to create beautiful, useful things. We find enjoyment and satisfaction in the work we do–in the final products, but also in the process. We love how cutting, sanding, and finishing allows the unique character of each piece of wood to emerge. We’re excited to share that process, and the results, with our greater community.
Connection
We appreciate the connectedness of people who belong to each other through ties of family, friendship, and community. We hope that our work will help strengthen those connections with games that encourage creative interaction and conversation. And the way we see it, anyone who ends up with something we've made is a part of our community.
“This is the best Chinese checkers set we have ever seen. The board is beautifully made and the family really enjoys playing. Being able to pull kids away from the screens to enjoy actual family interaction is terrific. The set is worth every penny and more! We’re planning on many, many years of enjoyment.”
Environmental sustainability
We seek to have a friendly footprint on our world. We source our woods locally as much as possible. We also use non-toxic finishes that are better for the environment and for the person doing the finishing, yet still give a high quality, durable, and beautiful finish (read more here). Our packaging materials are reused, recycled, and/or recyclable. Any plastic in our packaging is reused from shipments we've received. We use recycled boxes for shipping, and we encourage you to reuse or recycle all packaging.
We also just enjoy using wood for our products because it's a time-honored material with a satisfying feel and beautiful depth that you just don’t get from synthetic materials. And, of course, it’s natural and biodegradable. Instead of the tree decaying in the forest, we side-track it for a little while so it can be enjoyed and appreciated in another form before returning to the earth. And by "for a little while," we mean for generations.
“The quality and craftsmanship of this chess and checkerboard is exactly what I was looking for. I know it will be enjoyed for many years!”
Nathan Epp
I've been a woodworker since I was a kid, learning from my dad and grandpas in their shops, and I've always enjoyed working with my hands and making things. I've also done a variety of other things over the years. After getting a BS degree in mechanical engineering technology, I've worked in the aerospace industry as a manufacturing and quality engineer, volunteered with the Peace Corps in Uganda, worked on conservation efforts in Missouri forests and in disaster response throughout the country, and helped develop a new kind of wastewater treatment facility in Kenya. I’m excited to be pouring my energy full time into doing something that I love--making beautiful, satisfying, and functional pieces that enrich the lives of those who use them.
Cynthia Epp
I grew up climbing trees, riding bikes, reading books, and traipsing through the Missouri woods. We didn't watch much TV (thanks, parents!) and there was no internet, so we explored our world and made our own fun. I've since continued to explore. I have a master's degree in public health and have worked in local public health, taught at the university level, trained teachers in Uganda, and collaborated with community organizations in Kenya. I'm thrilled to now be making things that inspire kids and adults to play creatively and interact with each other and the world around them. I love working in the shop and keeping lists and spreadsheets. And I’m the one you'll get when you call or email. I look forward to hearing from you!
Special thanks to Tim and Mel at Paperback for helping us tell our story through our logo, website design, and much, much more!
Photo credits: Brandon Bowman and Alex Li