A hobby, for most people, is an enjoyable activity where they can spend some of their free time and perhaps relax or unwind. And while Chilliwack鈥檚 Jeremy Sibley鈥檚 carpentry hobby does help free him from the stresses of life, it鈥檚 also earned him the attention of Hollywood.
With an eye for raw beauty and an appreciation for clean, modern lines, Sibley鈥檚 work is a marriage of wood and metal in their most natural states. A former bank manager by trade, Sibley says he鈥檚 been dabbling in woodworking for more than a decade.
| Live edge wood is kept natural in its appearance, leaving aspects such as bark, gnarly knots, holes, and curved spaces to enhance the inherent shape of the tree. |
鈥淚 started out just making furniture for myself and my house, but (when) I didin鈥檛 need any more things in my home, I began selling my stuff,鈥� Sibley explains.
It was through selling his completed projects that Sibley was found by a Vancouver movie production company in 2016. Having previously sold a few items to a company that produced commercials, Sibley says it wasn鈥檛 a complete surprise that his 鈥渆ye-catching鈥� designs had been noticed.
Contracted to build a live-edge table, Sibley didn鈥檛 know much about where his piece was going to end up, nor did he really think about it. Using a fir tree slab milled in the Fraser Valley for the project, Sibley was able to make two nearly identical tables: one became a land developer鈥檚 desk in Abbotsford, the other ended up on the big screen with Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.
Not overly concerned with what the production company was doing with the table, it wasn鈥檛 until it was completed and picked up that Sibley learned of the table鈥檚 future.
He was contacted by the movie鈥檚 producers and was invited to Vancouver, where it was being filmed, to discuss alterations with the director. At this point, Sibley says all he really knew of the movie at that point was it was family friendly and the table would be visible often.
| Sibley's table is featured often in the movie "Wonder," which stars Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. |
鈥淭hey told me the name of the movie when I was on set, (but) I didn鈥檛 look it up online until a month or two later,鈥� explains Sibley.
The movie was Wonder, starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, and upon learning of the movie鈥檚 stature, Sibley says he 鈥渨as a little bit speechless. This wasn鈥檛 a low budget kids movie, it was a real Hollywood big league movie.鈥�
Based on an award-winning book of the same name, Wonder follows August 鈥淎uggie鈥� Pullman, a fifth-grade boy living with Teacher Collins syndrome, which has resulted in some 27 facial surgeries that have left him scarred and unusual looking. Released this winter, Wonder earned more than $252 million dollars at the box office.
After watching the movie when it was released, Sibley says he鈥檚 happy with how it all turned out. 鈥淚 spent (upwards) of 40 hours working on a table 鈥� (that was) very prominent in a big movie,鈥� says Sibley. 鈥淵ou see my table in multiple scenes in the movie and I鈥檓 (happy) to have my work seen by so many people.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 proud that the quality of my work has been recognized by people in other industries,鈥� Sibley adds. 鈥淭he only person I have to impress generally is myself, so this makes me feel very proud.鈥�
And although Sibley has recently left the banking industry, he has no immediate plans to cash in on his table鈥檚 celebrity.
鈥淚f there was an Academy Award for tables, I鈥檇 hope mine would be nominated,鈥� jokes Sibley. 鈥�(But) once you go to doing (something like this) professionally, or having certain expectations of (financial) return, it adds a level of complication.鈥�
So while Sibley intends to continue his carpentry, he says he has no particular business goal in mind. 鈥淚 just want to keep doing what I love and see where it goes.鈥�
Sarah.Gawdin@theprogress.com
Like us on and follow us on .
