Brian Christopher, owner of Bicyclette Furniture, sits among his creations in the company’s new showroom at 78 Main St. in Wiscasset on Thursday, July 11. Christopher opened the showroom to the public on July 4. (Photo by Piper Pavelich)
A calming aesthetic, the familiar scent of wood and the story of one man’s passion for creating await visitors to Bicyclette Furniture’s new showroom at 78 Main St. in Wiscasset.
Bicyclette Furniture is owned by Philadelphia native Brian Christopher, who founded the company nearly eight years ago.
The Wiscasset showroom officially opened to visitors on July 4. The shop features pieces like end tables, desks, bed frames and whatever else Christopher dreams up. He often uses offcuts of wood and leather to create smaller, temporary items like step stools.
Opening a showroom in Wiscasset was a bit of a coincidence, says Christopher. He and his wife looked at properties in Portland, but decided on the Main Street location after a friend pointed out the vacant building.
Envisioning a move to a coastal area that was still rural, the craftsman and his wife moved to Arrowsic nearly three and a half years ago. Both have lived in the city “for as long as they can remember,” Christopher says, and a change of scenery was exactly what they were looking for.
The area’s art and food scene appealed to the couple, and memories of his youthful trips to New England prompted the move, Christopher says.
Bicyclette Furniture, 78 Main St. in Wiscasset. The showroom is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Photo by Piper Pavelich)
The furniture business moved with him, relocating its headquarters from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Brunswick.
Christopher, along with two full-time employees, builds the furniture he sells in his Brunswick shop. Because there is a wide variety of items available to customers, prices can range from $1,000 to $10,000.
Christopher’s interest in woodworking began when he was almost 26, he said. At the time, he was using his art history degree to work in the contemporary art world, but was looking for a venture that would bring him fulfillment, he said.
“When I got involved, I immediately thought, ‘Sure. I’m going to do this for the rest of my life,'” Christopher said.
What began as a hobby of carving spoons, cutting boards, bowls and other items quickly grew into a small business that Christopher sold to stores across the country.
“I think I read an article about a carpenter in New York … I just thought, ‘God, that sounds a lot more fun than what I do,'” he said.
His interest quickly shifted to larger-scale woodworking and furniture making.
Although he considered going to school to learn more about his newfound passion, Christopher decided against it and taught himself everything he knows. Over the years, he took any job he could get to develop his skills.
Christopher said he had to learn to roll with the punches, as running a business in an ever-changing industry can be difficult.
“You think you know all the questions and how it goes in busy times, but then everything keeps changing and proving you wrong,” he said. “When you’re busy, everything’s great, but when you’re slow … you start to question your work. You start to question the quality of your work, and that can be a tricky business.”
Although giving up may sound easier, Christopher said that even negative feelings can be used as motivation to continue learning and improving.
“You can get down, get a little worried, and either just give up or think, ‘Maybe I need to try something new.’ So it’s kind of a necessary evil. I think adversity drives creation,” he said.
Christopher and his wife have felt completely welcomed since moving to Maine, he said, and he hopes to pass that feeling on to customers who walk through the door of the Wiscasset showroom.
The Bicyclette Furniture showroom in Wiscasset is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment.
For more information, call 610-476-5944, email [email protected], visit bicyclettefurniture.com, or find us on Instagram.
