People often ask me
“where I got my start building cabinets”.

They ask me if my father was a wood worker.
My response goes something like this.

I have been building things for as long as I can remember. From tree houses to real houses, from paper plains to model trains, from Lego’s to building my own swimming pool, you name it, I’ve built it. I went to college at the University of Delaware in 1984. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, but I knew I liked what was happening on TV with a new show called “This Old House”. I decided to pursue a degree in Interior Design. It was the right decision; it gave me the tools I needed to build anything I wanted. And that’s what I did; when I got out of school I worked for six years as an in-house designer for a local remodeling company. While I was at that remodeling company I was asked to draw detailed cabinet drawings for another division of the company. And from time to time I had to stop in to the cabinetmaker’s shop to go over details. That’s actually where I learned how cabinets were put together. Towards the end of those six years I purchased my current home in Severna Park. I made sure the house had enough space for a woodworking shop. I thought,” I’ll make a few pieces of furniture and sell them to my family and friends and that will help to pay for the tools”. The first few years I only sold about $7000 worth of furniture a year. Of course Annapolis Heirlooms was a second job for the first nine years. In 2001 I decided to make woodworking my sole career. And it has been my only job ever since. I love what I do. I have no employees, although I have a lot of people that help me from time to time. I hope I can build something for you.

Rick Taylor
Annapolis Heirlooms