While cheap, modern furniture does the job, it’s hardly something you buy because of how special it looks. It’s easy to get fed up of dressers in varying shades of white, black and brown, that all look virtually identical apart from their color.

Some people choose to search high and low for furniture with a bit more character – and then there are people like Henk Verhoeff, who decided to just make his own.

Verhoeff does have it a bit easier, in all honesty, as he’s a retired woodworker. His skills and experience in the industry means that when he has a vision, he can actually see it through to the end.

Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Verhoeff had a vision like no other: to create magical dressers that looked straight out of a children’s fairy tale.

Apparently, retiring from his trade didn’t actually mean he’d stop working, and in Verhoeff’s eyes, woodworking was something he just couldn’t leave in the past.

After 50 years in the job, Verhoeff describes woodworking as his “hobby and passion”. But this master craftsman decided that he was bored with creating standard dressers, and decided to approach his retirement projects with an element of fun and playfulness.

And fun they certainly are!

Verhoeff’s dressers look completely unusable, stage props only, but that’s not the case at all. All of his designs are intended for practical use – they just happen to look a bit cooler than the rest.

Speaking to Bored Panda about his creations, Verhoeff said:

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

We wouldn’t call his furniture “weird” by any means – “impressive” more accurately fits the bill!

And what really is impressive is just how long it can take Verhoeff to complete one piece: 80 to 100 hours. If Verhoeff decided to make a business out of this, his customers would have to be incredibly patient.

Of course, it makes perfect sense that his cabinets take so long to build. Not only do they have to look as if they’re falling apart, in the most endearing way possible, they also have to function properly. Verhoeff gave us an insight into the painstakingly-long process, saying:

“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.”

Even with their complexity in design, the pieces Verhoeff creates are nothing short of works of art. His 50 years in the craft have clearly given him the patience, skill, and incredible creativity required to make such beautiful designs.

After his daughter showed off his creations to a dedicated Facebook page, unsurprisingly, Verhoeff caught the attention of thousands of people across the world. People started to get in touch with Verhoeff asking to buy them off him.

But with each individual project taking so long, Verhoeff isn’t ready to say goodbye to his pieces yet. He also won’t be taking custom design orders – and we’re not surprised, given how quickly overwhelmed he could become with enquiries!

Instead, Verhoeff says he plans to sell his pieces a little later in the future, adding:

“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.”

Good news if you’ve fallen in love with Verhoeff’s designs, but one thing’s for sure – they won’t come cheap!

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Source: My Positive Outlooks, Bored Panda, One Of A Kind Woodwork Creations By Henk