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Cedar Park man wins award for furniture

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What started out as a hobby for Jim Wallace turned into an award-winning endeavor as the furniture he makes by hand won awards at the 9th Annual Texas Furniture Makers Show.

Wallace won two awards: a Judge's Special Award for a Longleaf Pine Table and an Honorable Mention for a three-piece wedding suite which includes a picture frame, silverware chest and privacy screen.

“I did these pieces specifically for the show,” Wallace said. “This is my first venture to try to get some publicity and get my works out in front of the public.”

The table and suite took him about two months each to build, and like his other items, they are limited editions. “There will only be 12 editions of each,” Wallace said.

Wallace has been in the furniture-making business off and on for the last 30 years. “I was probably influenced by my father who built our house that I was raised in,” he said.

After graduating college with a degree in interior design, Wallace went on to graduate school at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan for furniture design.

Though Wallace said he spent years making furniture for design firms, offices, hospitals, board rooms and law firms, he also made his own things too.

“I was always doing my own stuff and putting it out there and selling and showing it,” he said. “I have had some successes.”

Recently, Wallace decided to give up working for design firms to try his hand on his own. He makes anything from chairs and tables to doll houses and cabinets. He said he designs production furniture for Novikoff Furniture in Fort Worth as well.

Wallace's work, along with his design philosophy can be found on his website at www.splintersdesign.com.

E-mail jenn@hillcountrynews.com

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