Fine woodworking Nova Scotia

Cabinetry, hand-crafted furniture, commercial projects, boat upgrades

A lifetime of working with wood - a partnership of design & materials

Robin Pyke photo

Bill Pyke was born and bred in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. His home town, first settled in 1753, enjoys an historic, yet still thriving, reputation for fine builders & shipwrights.

Bill's grandfather was a well-respected contractor whose credits include a church in Feltzen South, several houses in Lunenburg and the last Cross Island lighthouse. As a young man, Bill followed his grandfather into woodworking. He's been at it ever since.

In 1967, Bill took on his first job. "Neptune Theatre was looking for stage crew, " he recalls. For the next 12 years, he built theatre scenery across Canada and into the United States, then overseas in Paris and London.

In Toronto, he was the technical director of the theatre departments at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto Opera School.

After a stint as a house-builder, he left construction. By choosing the finer side of the trade, he can take the time to do the job: a fitting tribute to the look, versatility and strength of the design, the wood, and the project.

Alex Pyke - Bill's son - has recently started working with his Dad. Alex is a talented and creative guy, with lots of energy and ideas. Working with Bill gives him the opportunity to learn in an apprentice-type role and take good advantage of his father's years of experience. It also complements nicely with his course work from NSCC's two-year Heritage Carpentry Program.

When not learning from his Dad, Alex plays guitar (and other instruments), composes music and songs and enjoys time with his dog Millie - a rambunctious, sweet Retriever.

From left, a dandy painted kitchen and a pine kitchen island with slate countertop - note the wall of French doors in the background, also built by Bill.

From left, Bridgewater United Church commissioned Bill to build this mahogany table for the sanctuary; a fabulous stairway - the original set was facing in the opposite direction - and a major renovation project - here's the end result. For more photos and text, click on our from the ground up page.