The Maker: Cory Hutcheson of The Rustic Bend

Nothing says “home carpenter” more evocatively than a guy who builds salvaged-wood furniture in his garage at sunrise before heading to a full-time job with the railroad. Cory Hutcheson, who operates out of his Lizton barn as The Rustic Bend, specializes in building pieces from castoff lumber and old barn wood—amassing a months-long waiting list without formal furniture training, advertising, or what Fortune 500 marketing departments call “a website.” Hutcheson’s simply a natural who comes from generations of carpenters. “My grandpa had the ability to see a whole house before they started building it,” he says. “It’s nice to have that piece of him in me.”

The first table Hutcheson ever sold was built from wood he found behind a highway-department building in Lafayette. On a whim, he threw it on a Hendricks County garage sale Facebook page and sold it in 30 minutes. Some 70 custom orders later, he has a portfolio full of pedestal tables, dining room tables, headboards, desks with industrial-pipe accents, and wine racks. He’ll get around to spreading word on more than a Facebook page when The Rustic Bend becomes a full-time endeavor, which he expects to happen pretty soon. “I still don’t think I’m good at it yet,” he says. “But I have to be creative. It’s my outlet.”

In His Workshop

From Cory Hutcheson’s miter saw comes a slew of custom farmhouse tables, barn doors, and headboards made of reclaimed wood. Those with a “live edge,” like a recent bathroom vanity, retain a natural end with bark still attached.

Buy It

Interior sliding barn door, $500 from The Rustic Bend, 765-720-5643