About Craft-Art

A Uniquely American Story

The Craft-Art story is a real-life "out of the basement" journey that mirrors the development of the high-end wood countertop market. Ken Williamson founded a home based company in 1998, making large custom cutting boards and wooden pot racks and selling them on the Internet. In 1999, an Atlanta kitchen and bath dealer asked him to make a countertop, and the journey began.

Soon, Ken was making wood countertops for a number of Atlanta kitchen and bath dealers. However, the dealers wanted something better than the maple and oak butcher block tops they had been getting. They were asking for different wood species and they wanted the tops to be able to resist moisture and food stains.

The designers' requests were in keeping with the change in the location and function of the kitchen. In the past, kitchens had been relegated to the back of the home with a door to the dining room. Meals were cooked in the kitchen, but there were few visitors. In this kind of environment, an unfinished or mineral-oiled butcher block could serve its utilitarian purpose, and it was accepted that water damage and stains were part of having a wood countertop.

As the kitchen moved to a more central location in the home and become a place for family and friends to congregate, the old butcher block wood countertops were no longer acceptable. During the next two years, Ken developed a better way of making wood countertops and a much better way of protecting them from moisture and stain damage.

By supplying a better countertop, the business grew and Ken's basement space soon became too small. In August, 2001, Craft-Art moved to a 13,000 square foot facility near downtown Atlanta. Ken continued to improve the product and expand the number of dealers. By 2004, Craft-Art had dealers across the country. In September, 2004, the shop moved to its current location, a 33,000 square foot facility in midtown Atlanta.

Today, we have a talented staff of craftsmen and technicians who take great pride in creating the most beautiful and durable wood countertops made anywhere. Our helpful and responsive customer service team is second to none.