What do craftsmen usually do when they retire?

Some of them spend it with their grandchildren, some travel with their wives, and some take up golf or tennis or cycling.

And then there are some retirees who use their retirement to do things they’ve always wanted to do.

Retired cabinet maker Henk Verhoeff from Auckland, New Zealand decided to do the last one. And he made one of the best decisions in his life. Because, in his retirement, he discovered his finest work ever done.

What did Henk do as a cabinet maker when he was still working?

A cabinet maker produces cabinets made out of wood or synthetic wood materials. A cabinet maker, who is also referred to as a woodworker, either works in a big company who mass produces cabinets. Or they could be working in a smaller shop, making custom cabinets.

Woodworking is a great craft to master. Not everyone who sets out to work as a woodworker becomes one. They need loads of patience, knowledge, and plenty of practice.

And the ones who became experts in their field were those who became dedicated to their careers, including Henk.

And now, he has the time to make the cabinets he has always wanted to make because he’s retired. Would you like to know what he’s started to create?

He has started to build dressers that look straight out of a children’s book!

Henk spent five decades manufacturing wood cabinets for his customers. He describes the work that he does as his “hobby and passion.”

He can now go back to doing what he’s passionate about.

And it’s so awesome that he’s using his amazing talent to “design surreal and playful wooden creations that look like they belong in a Disney film.”

But Henk says that his designs are not inspired by the youthful imaginative films. All ideas for the cabinet came, according to Henk, from his “twisted brain.”

“I describe my style of furniture as broken and weird,” Henk explained. “I like making weird furniture, something that you don’t see in a shop.”

Each piece can take him 80 to 100 hours to finish, depending on the complexity of the design.

And then there are even times when Henk would need to discard a project and start all over again. Good thing he’s the “client” or else, there will be a lot of problems.

“Sometimes details or angles don’t work and I have to start again. I use recycled New Zealand pine, mostly, but if I can get my hands on some Rimu, I will also use that,” Henk said.

And if he had actual clients for these masterpieces, the clients would definitely agree it was worth the wait. The end product is truly a unique work of art.

And one of the people who are proud of his creations is Henk’s daughter, Linda.

She has posted some of his works online, which captured the attention of so many people. Henk’s photos became so popular, it prompted Linda to create a Facebook page exclusively for his woodwork creations.

The page has only been up for three months and it has already amassed more than 100,000 followers. And a barrage of private messages flooded Henk and Linda from people, who hoped to buy his creations.

But Henk wasn’t ready to part with his creations just yet.

“I started creating them for the pure love of it without the intention of selling them. But when I run out of space, there will be an eBay auction or two. Everything is for sale… except for my wife,” Henk joked.

And it looks like that time has come. Linda posted an eBay site on the Facebook page with one of the dressers up for bidding.

Are you going to be one of the lucky few to take home one of Henk’s masterpieces?

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Positive Outlooks Blog, Facebook/One Of A Kind Woodwork Creations by Henk, Bored Panda, Career Explorer