Cabinet maker Randy Gengarelly has built fine furniture for over 20 years. Since 2003 he has specialized in making luxury pieces that are reminiscent of the finest work done in previous centuries.
His work reflects meticulous attention to aesthetics, craftsmanship, and function. One of his cabinets was featured on the back cover of Fine Woodworking magazine and another appears in the Orbita® watch winder catalogue.
Randy was extremely fortunate to be taught by the great master cabinet maker Egidio “Gene” Oliverio (1917 – 2011). Gene began his apprenticeship at the age of seven in Italy. His master’s workshop had no electricity, so he learned his trade the same way craftsmen learned it 200 years earlier. He had never seen a power tool until immigrating to the United States in the mid 1930’s.
“Gene’s extraordinary skill and very high standards made him a very demanding teacher. And that’s what you need if you want to be really good at something. Besides, I felt honored that in Gene’s 70 plus years of making furniture, he chose to work closely with only a few people. Implicit in our long relationship was that as long as I continued to earn his respect, Gene would gladly teach me everything he could.”
Although Randy’s workshop is well equipped with modern machinery, most of his work is done at the workbench with hand tools. Only hand work can achieve the fine lines, subtle shaping, and precise fit needed to create truly fine furniture.
Randy is also a respected speaker and consultant, who spends part of his time teaching leadership and communication skills. In this role, he has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad, and this has allowed him to closely study the furniture in many of the world’s best museum collections. His admiration for the many masterpieces he has studied influences each piece that he designs and builds.