I Heart… Earlywood Design

Today’s “I Heart” has a special place in my…well…heart.  And not only because the items are absolutely amazing, but because it’s our dear friend who is behind them.  Brad Bernhart, lover of all things outdoors and wild, a loyal friend, a wickedly genius engineer (by trade), and a fine, fine craftsman has just launched a new venture.  About a year ago we learned that he and his equally fabulous wife, Char, were packing their boxes and moving from Portland, Oregon to Red Lodge, Montana, where the Rocky Mountains envelop everything in sight.  Closer to their families and childhood homes, Red Lodge is an idyllic locale for Brad to pursue his passion…Earlywood hand-crafted kitchen cooking utensils.

While studying Mechanical Engineering at Montana State University Brad picked up a few tools and began crafting various wooden utensils in his backyard.  Over the years he has perfected his craft and is now producing some amazing spoons, scrapers, spreaders, cutting boards, and an array of other beautiful products.  Each item is crafted from various exotic hardwoods, utilizing smooth lines and wonderful coloring.  Not only are his designs aesthetically pleasing, they are also extremely useful and shaped for a multitude of kitchen tasks (from stirring soup to clearing out an avocado).

Erik and I have been drooling over Brad’s designs since we were gifted with an assortment of his wooden spoons and scrapers for our wedding.  There isn’t a single day that I don’t reach for my prized wooden spoon.  And the scrapers…nothing feels better in your hand than one of these tools while trying to remove the last morsels of icing from a bowl.  Clear as day, handmade is the best way to go, so check out his website and see if you can mark anybody off your shopping list this season.  Anything from Earlywood Designs would make the perfect holiday gift.  I guarantee anyone and everyone who uses one of his products will fall in love as much as we have.