Established Last Century

Gerrybuilt Original & Custom Design has been in operation in Edmonton since May 1999. Proprietor Gerry Russo founded the shop with a deep commitment to quality of materials, excellence in workmanship and simplicity of design.

It is the shop's philosophy that as a society, we need to emerge from an age of semi-disposable furniture and rediscover that when something is made with care and attention, it is something that both the craftsman and the owner will be proud of.

Moreover, if it is cared for properly, a piece of furniture should last for years to come.

So,who is this guy?

Born in 1965 in Rhode Island, Gerry Russo has lived much of his life in New England. At university, his studies included English and Italian literature, linguistics, and the Italian language. In 1997 he received a Ph.D. in Italian applied linguistics at the University of Toronto.

Although he pursued an academic career for several years, Gerry discovered his passion for woodworking in 1995 while teaching at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dartmouth's woodshop is open to both students and faculty and he quickly found himself in an informal apprenticeship under the guidance of the shop's operators Greg Elder and Dudley P. Whitney.

It was at Dartmouth that he learned to appreciate the simplicity of the Shaker tradition and got hooked on working with cherry, maple and birch, woods native to New England.

Gerry moved from Vermont to Edmonton in 1999 with his family. This move was the catalyst for launching a new career and establishing the shop.