A small boat building yard in Snug Harbor Rhode Island brought the 3 founding partners together in 1982. They left the boat yard in 1984 to pursue designing and building handmade furniture in leased space at the Dorset Mill in Exeter, RI. The three toiled making furniture and taking on other cabinet jobs while building a local client base and reputation for fine craftsmanship.
While creating furniture was creatively fulfilling, it wasn’t lucrative enough to pay the bills or grow the business. So began the development of their specialty trade in stair building. Bruce Decker left the partnership in 1986 to pursue other interests including attending the Prince Charles School of Architecture in England. In 1995 partner David Lawrence relocated to New Mexico. Robinson Berry, an employee and master stairbuilder became a partner. By this time the company employed over 20 people and could boast having completed some of the most challenging monumental stairs in high end residences throughout the region. The partners continued building the business and embraced computer drafting and CNC machining in 2001 to enhance the capabilities of the shop. In 2016, Berry relocated to New Hampshire which left Bill Bivona, a founding partner, as sole owner of Hardwood Design Inc.
Homeowners throughout New England and New York rely upon Hardwood Design Inc. to build them the most beautiful custom flights and stair parts, utilizing our three decades of experience and the top-of-the-line equipment in our Exeter, Rhode Island, workshop. The kind of projects we are willing to undertake aren’t limited by scope or complexity – our team of expert stairbuilders will take the time to make sure each staircase or stair part meets our high standards before they leave our headquarters.
Location isn’t an issue, as most of the stairs that we craft are built in the shop and then delivered to a work site. We’ll bring even the most elaborate spiral flight to a home before completion and fasten our structure into the floors ourselves, guaranteeing that no outside interference compromises the quality of the stairs. Whether we are trucking a flight to an estate on Cape Cod or a mansion on Lake Winnepesauke, we won’t hesitate to make sure delivery is smooth and installation a success.
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont boast some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. As a result, real estate in this region tends to be pricey, so the homes that are built in the zip codes of Northern New England tend to be impressive. Whether you are building a ski lodge in the tree-covered slopes of the Green Mountains or are constructing your dream house along rocky cliffs of the coastal Maine, we have no problem coming to you with the staircase that fits your needs.
While not as mountainous as the Northern Kingdom, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are also prized locales. Communities in Southern New England are among the most expensive in the country, and for good reason. With many of the nations best schools, cultural institutions and hospitals located here, real estate in Southern New England has always been robust. As well, many parts of this region remain underdeveloped, despite the proximity of major population centers and valuable amenities, allowing property owners to construct impressive residences with features including elaborate or large staircases.
As the largest city in New England, this is the cultural center of the region and one of the most historically – and monetarily – wealthy areas in the country. There is perhaps no greater confluence of academic institutions anywhere else in the world, making the towns in an around this city one of the highest concentrations of knowledge on the planet. This area is also renowned for its stunning architecture, which has diversity in spades. From the brownstones on Beacon Hill to the mansions of Cambridgeport, there are properties that fit the needs of any homeowners in the Boston area.
We have no problem venturing outside the New England area, having taken on staircase projects in New York State as well in the past. No matter the scope of your needs – if you need a whole flight or are simply interested in renovating an antique structure with replica stair parts – we will get the pieces to you on time and on budget.
The owners of Hardwood Design are environmentally conscious at home and at the shop facility. Co owner Bivona built his residence and incorporated solar electric power, salvaged lumber and recycled materials.
Our sustainable processes at the shop facility include:
Our sustainable business model includes
