Meet Les Katt

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Les Katt.

Hi Les, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Growing up, I frequently visited my Gramp at building sites and his workshop. He was a contractor/carpenter, and it soon became my favorite place to be. Around the same time I discovered that I had the ability to draw, and my mom helped me to explore that with art and painting lessons.

While attending Kendall College of Art & Design, I worked for a local builder and discovered that I really loved both the work and the process. Upon graduating, I worked professionally as a Graphic Artist for 4-5 years, but I didn’t enjoy the office environment, so I went to work full-time for another builder. After about two years, I earned my builders’ license and went into business for myself. In 1986, I began to design and build custom houses. Through the years, I’ve done it all – new home builds, remodels, framing, and trimming. I have always enjoyed the work, especially trim work, but always wanted my own shop — a place where I could improve the quality of my craft, explore different woodworking techniques, as well as cabinetry and furniture design.

In my fifties, I rented space at an old factory in Grand Rapids where I could start pursuing those ambitions. Around the same time, my son, Taylor, was working in Chicago, and both he and his wife were looking to move back to West Michigan. Growing up, Taylor spent his summers on the job site, helping to frame the houses I was building. In 2015, we decided that he would come to work with me, so we pooled our tools together and took on any carpentry projects we could find, forming Katt Design and Carpentry.

Since then, we’ve honed in on custom cabinetry. Taylor, come to find out, is a very detailed craftsman. Today, he runs the day-to-day operations of our woodshop while I concentrate on our customers and the design process.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Most of the obstacles around owning a small business revolve around cash flow – being between jobs can be a stressful place. Another struggle has been finding skilled help.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
We’re a father-and-son custom cabinetry business serving the greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area. Our passion is providing quality carpentry and design services with meticulous craftsmanship. We work with homeowners, designers, and builders on a wide range of projects – kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, entryway lockers, entertainment centers, custom built-ins, storage solutions, and much more.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our work. We don’t have stock sizes or limited color options — our handcrafted cabinetry is built to order in our Jenison, Michigan, woodshop with styles and finishes tailored to each project.

We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
The biggest risk I took was leaving my job as a Graphic Artist to return to the building, quitting that job, and becoming self-employed without any work lined up. My wife was always behind me, telling me to go for it.

When I was younger, I was more of a risk-taker than I am now. I would try things that I didn’t know much about and learn along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kattdesign.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/kattdesign/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/LesKatt/
• Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KattDesignCarpentry Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/kattdesignandcarpentry/

Image Credits
Lauren Figueroa Interior Design, Alyssa Wagner Photography