By Josette Keelor -- Daily Staff Writer

STRASBURG — A familiar face in Strasburg, custom cabinet builder Chris Fry has been putting things together for much of his life.

Fry, who is mainly self-taught in carpentry, was fresh out of high school when he became interested in building wood furniture. He says he believes his art background, which he gained from some classes in high school and at Shenandoah University, helps with design and vision.

"I usually draw all of my kitchens out," he says. "I can visualize it before I do it ... get an idea of what the client wants."

He began a cabinetry business about 10 years ago, and up until about two years ago, also constructed houses.

The most recent, on Stage Coach Road at Leisure Point in Woodstock, became a vacation home for Craig Obey, of Northern Virginia, and his family.

Fry designed the entire house and constructed most of it — putting his cabinetry skills on full display.

The kitchen boasts maple cabinets with beaded face frames and inset doors. Most of the room is constructed of cherry, he says, except for the island, which is poplar.

"Generally, everyone wants a hardwood, which is cherry, oak and maple," Fry says, because hardwoods hold up better. Hickory is even harder, he says, though he does not use it often.

He also prefers to use a lacquer instead of shellac or polyurethane on wooden surfaces, because lacquer dries more quickly. Three coats of lacquer will ensure a durable finish, he says.

A unique aspect to the Obey's kitchen are the 37-inch tall counters, higher than the standard 36 inches.

"They wanted it taller," Fry says, "[for] more comfortable work surfaces." The Obeys also requested a cutting board built into the counter that can be replaced as needed.

Due to an illness that made it difficult for him to be out in the sun, Fry can no longer build houses. He focuses most of his energy on kitchens, though his business still allows for the design of custom railings, trim and furniture.

In spring 2006, he and his wife, Pam, opened Fry's Custom Creations, at its store location on King Street in Strasburg, with the intention of focusing on cabinetry and saying "goodbye" to the housing business.

"I guess a lot of it grew from necessity, because construction would slow in the winter," Fry says.

"I very much enjoy doing my job," he says, explaining that he has no regrets concerning his decision to change the focus of his work. "I like any creative work, anything that's challenging."

His customers prefer custom-made furniture because it is stronger than something they might find in a department store.

"I guess most people want us to do something because it's in a specific size," he explains of his custom-made creations. He does not work from catalogs, and if customers need some help deciding what they want for the look of their house, he will offer ideas.

"Pretty much if it's in wood, we'll do it," he says. "It's usually better quality of material, because there's no particle board, no picture of wood," he says, explaining that some furniture has parts made to look like wood, though they are not made from real wood.

Fry uses all solid material, and he says that everything he builds is a little oversized, the wood averaging about a quarter-inch thicker than the wood people would find in furniture from other sources. This, he says, ensures that the product is "heavier duty," and it also personalizes his work.

He describes his style as "elegant, but not overstated," with a rustic aspect.

He is working on a project to build period furniture for the Marriott Ranch and Inn at Fairfield Farm in Hume. The job is to build pieces that match the look of the ranch, which was built in 1814, according to Danny Mills, director of operations. The bed and breakfast, which used to have that period look, was later updated, but Mills desired kitchen pieces that better suit the historic atmosphere.

"[We] didn't want it to look like a kitchen built in 2008," says Mills.

Mills chose Fry because he needed someone who would do custom work. Fry will build all new cabinets for the ranch's kitchen, a process that Mills says will take about eight weeks.

Depending on the project, Fry says that it can take anywhere from four to 12 weeks to complete work for a client. The amount of planning, the size of the room and the actual time needed for construction all play a part, Fry says.

"Some people show up with their own picture of what they have seen and like," says Fry. Once he talks to them about the design, that is when they realize the possibilities before them, he says.

* Contact Josette Keelor at jkeelor@nvdaily.com