Woodworking runs deep in Will Brundula's family. He apprenticed in his father’s shop, HB Woodcraft, in Kelowna, British Columbia.

His father, born and raised in Europe, trained from the age of 14 in woodworking and cabinetry, moving to Argentina in 1957, where he continued training and working in the cabinetry trade until immigrating to Canada in 1972 and opening HB Woodcraft custom cabinetry company.

Will Brundula say he tried to run away from the trade, but returned in 1995 "when I realized that fine, custom cabinetry and millwork was my calling." he completed his apprenticeship and received a trade certification in cabinetry and millwork.

Accumulating clients of his own, Brundula formed an independent business, Heartland Millworks, creating custom millwork pieces for residential and commercial clients. While its a business, Brundula also sees his woodworking as a mix of art and craft. 

“I do think of it as art. Absolutely,” says Brundula. One example is a master bedroom for a multi-million dollar home where the owners entrusted him to create custom furniture for their bedroom. The result was a dramatic walnut and leather canopy bed punctuated by nightstands of walnut burl.

“I got to just sit in the dark and dream it up,” says Brundula, who finds his creative mind delivers the best woodworking designs at the end of the day. “I’ve literally gone and sat on the couch, turned off the lights, and just started looking in my head.”

The design for a 20-foot table at RauDZ Regional Table, evolved out of the owner’s desire for something big and rustic. “You really just build something in your head and then go to the shop and see how you can do it mechanically,” says Brundula.

The RauDZ table, made from reclaimed wood, is a mechanical marvel, with only two legs, and no nails or glue. Six men once stood on it and tried to get it to shake or sag and couldn’t.