Fine woodworking Nova Scotia

Custom doors, windows, cabinetry, hand-crafted furniture, professional finishing

A lifetime of working with wood - a partnership of design & materials

Bill Pyke was born and bred in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Lunenburg, first settled in 1753, enjoys an historic, yet still thriving, reputation for its fine builders and shipwrights.

Bill's grandfather was himself a well-respected contractor whose credits include a church in Feltzen South, several houses in Lunenburg and the last Cross Island lighthouse. As a young man, Bill followed his grandfather into woodworking. He's been at it ever since.

In 1967, he took on his first job. "Neptune Theatre was looking for stage crew," he recalls. For the next 12 years, he built theatre scenery across Canada and into the United States, then overseas in Paris and London.

In Toronto, he was the technical director of the theatre departments at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto Opera School.

After a stint as a house-builder, he left construction. By choosing the finer side of the trade, he could take the time to do the job: a fitting tribute to the look, versatility and strength of the design, the wood, and the project.

From left, a front entryway door and interior door that has removable glass and screen; St Joseph's Catholic Church had these stained glass windows restored by Sattler Stained Glass Studio with Bill Pyke rebuilding the interior and exterior woodwork and mouldings; and a pine kitchen island with slate countertop - note the wall of French doors in the background, also built by Bill.

From left, Bridgewater United Church commissioned Bill to build this mahogany table for the sanctuary; a fabulous stairway - the original set was facing in the opposite direction - and a major renovation project - here's the end result. For more photos and text, click on our from the ground up page.