Private residence West Vancouver
Breanne Munro is glad she is home. Of course it’s where the heart is and all that, but in this case it’s also where the work is – the work she always wanted to do.
Even as a kid hanging out with her dad in his woodworking shop, Breanne knew that’s what she wanted to do, where she wanted to work. It’s where she learned the tricks of the trade and where she decided to work during summer holidays.
But before she could really work with her father, she had to grow up, go to school and learn about the craft, or design, anything that would make her an asset. In this case it meant graduating from high school, travelling the world and then school again, this time the Art Institute of Vancouver to become an interior designer.
While still in school she land- ed a job in the Queen Charlotte Islands – talk about a commute – and after she graduated she worked for Vancouver architects and for herself.
And then, last December, she was finally ready to join father Terry in the shop.
Terry and Breanne Munro
Munro Woodworking is a proud family business. If it’s made from wood, they can do it and do it well. From individual furniture pieces, custom cabinetry and kitchens to complete builds of high-end millwork,
finishing and installation, they do it all.
Based in Port Coquitlam, B.C., Munro Woodworking was founded and built from scratch by Terry Munro, who has been in business for 35 years customizing beautiful and unique homes all over the Greater Vancouver area. And now with daughter Breanne and her experience and background in interior design, the business is set to expand again. And let’s not forget daughter Danielle who does the bookkeeping and mother Karen, who is a part owner. A real family business. But it hasn’t always been easy. In fact it took a lot of hard work to get there, but Terry said he didn’t mind. Growing up in Alberta, he realized early on that academics weren’t his thing. It didn’t interest him. He wanted to do something with his hands. And then there were all those friends who took shop classes.
“I wanted to do what they did, I wanted to take automotive,” he says with a laugh.
But since those classes were full, someone suggested he should try carpentry and millwork instead.
“Well, I absolutely loved it, I knew immediately that’s what I wanted to do,” he says.
After high school Terry attended NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) in Edmonton to learn about cabinetry and as soon as he finished he started to work - and as he put it - learn from the best in the business. With the support from his parents, who helped him buy his first tools, he began to hone his skills and apply what he learned on a wide range of projects and jobsites. Whatever the job required, Terry was ready to do the work and learn all he could.
But he always knew that some day, he would start his own company.
The family moved to Vancouver 22 years ago and Terry said that’s a move he never regretted. He continued to work for other companies, but then decided it was finally time to start his own shop. He started his first custom cabinet company right from the two-car garage. Small jobs and projects at first, larger ones followed and on to full-on kitchens and installations. After years of building a reputation for himself around Vancouver and growing a successful business, bigger and better than he ever thought possible, a real opportunity presented himself. Just down the street, a friend decided to call it quits and sell his shop. Terry wasted no time and bought the shop.
Today, Munro Woodworking has five fulltime cabinetmakers and four or five installers working as subcontractors.
“My shop foreman, Brian Erfle, has a lot of great experience,” Terry says. “His background is with the yachting industry, which means he knows all there is to know about complex curves and oblong shapes. He has great training and is a big asset for us.”
Glenn Hatchard (a.k.a. the Workhorse), Mike Kimura, Geremy Enns and James Enns round out the team.
Terry is proud of the company and what they do and he gives credit to the crew because, “I like to think it is the team that makes a company successful.”
Daughter Breanne meanwhile continues with her passion for interior and furniture design to add to the mix and variety Munro Woodworking has to offer.
One result of that ‘new’ aspect of the company will be a furniture line they will begin producing some time this year.
But the main focus is and will remain their millwork and cabinetry. Designed, built and finished in-house and installed by a team that previously built and installed cabinetry for the Vancouver yachting industry, this is what built Munro’s reputation.
From intricate old-world ornate pieces to sleek modern lines, Munro will do it all.
“It’s custom work, we listen to our customers and give them exactly
what they want, one-of-a-kind pieces, individually designed and tailored to suit their needs.” Terry says.
Even when it’s a pirate chest, as per one customer’s request.
“We had this one customer who always wanted a pirate chest, and after we did some work for him he asked us to make him a custom piece,” says Terry. “Rather than go to Florida and try and find one that he liked and of the right size, he wanted us to build one to his exact specifications – so we did.”
“There is nothing we can’t do,” Breanne says. “If you have envisioned a piece that isn’t available in the store, we will work with you to bring your vision to life.”
As far as the products mix is concerned, Terry says it’s about even between solid wood and veneer, “as long as it’s wood, we will do it.”
Like the heritage windows they had to recreate for a historic building. Close to 80 windows, some measuring 5'x10' and built from solid wood. Or the fluted mahogany mantle, or the solid walnut credenza.
“We like the variety,” Terry says. “It keeps things interesting and we love the challenge.”
