This furniture 'knot' factory-made

By Brenda Hawkins (Contact)
“I love wood. I always have,” insists Cyndia Cummings. “My floors are wood. The cabinets are wood. Most of

my furniture is wood. It’s well made. You know it’s going to last.”
For the Washington state transplant, the idea that furniture should last a long time, as well as be beautiful, was what motivated her to open Wood Shed Custom Furniture, a specialty furniture shop that features custom furniture, made from solid Mexican Ponderosa pine or Georgia cedar.
Cyndia Cummings opened her business in November of 2016 and has a showroom stocked full of custom made wood furniture, pottery, art, and much more. The Wood Shed is located at 1201 Piper Blvd. at the north end of Airport-Pulling Rd.
“We fell in love with the pine when we first looked at it,” she recalled. “When you wax it, you can actually see the grain with its natural texture and imperfections, the pine knottiness of it. It has such a luster; it’s just so real.”
After nearly 20 years in retail, Cummings was ready to venture out on her own this winter; the handmade furniture was the perfect product with which to open an unusual home furnishings store in the brand new Piper’s Crossing Plaza at Immokalee and Airport Roads.
From incredibly aromatic wood smells to its authentic natural look, the Wood Shed is an uniquely beautiful store
Customers can specify the size and shape of pieces they order as well as how they’re decorated. Some prefer intricate hand-carvings in their tabletops, bars or benches – bass, horse and palm tree scenes are popular. Cummings designed a bar for her own lanai with wrought iron on the front. She has a matching bistro table and a smaller, high top table in her dining room.
“That’s what makes the Wood Shed so special,” said Cummings. “Everything is personalized for you. It’s not factory made, it’s one-of-a-kind. It’s not like a lot of other stores.” She believes in providing personalized customer service, too. “I want to make sure customers like what they get.”
With options such as waxes, stains and lacquers available in several colors, or even paint, the wood creations manifest originality and character.
But, furniture isn’t all the Wood Shed offers. Cummings has carefully picked out an eclectic collection of pottery, art and other accessories. Original, signed works of art hang above brilliantly colored and hand-painted Televera pottery as well as the high-end Kokukhas pottery of the Mexican Purepecha Indians.
From a disappearing fountain to collectible candles, a bevy of clever gift items and accessories provide a wide selection of original accents.
Cummings, and her husband, Mark, will make the trek to Mexico this summer to learn what other unique artwork and furniture are available.
Meanwhile, Woodshed Custom Furniture offers free delivery in Naples, with a minimal charge for longer distances and will ship merchandise out of state, as well. Cummings keeps the store open seven days a week. “Businesses are just starting to open in this plaza,” she said. “I want to give personalized customer service, so people will keep coming back.”