My name is Dean Mosey and I am a 5th generation cabinetmaker and furniture restoration specialist.  Whereas most 5th generation professional's backgrounds would stem from their father, his father, his father's father etc.,  I come by my trade from my mother and her ancestors.  My family's cabinetry roots date to the late 1800's in England before coming to the States shortly after World War I.  The earliest origins of my family show them to be predominantly coffin makers.  Though rather dreary in nature, one could safely state that there is really no cabinetry need more basic than the coffin.  Upon arrival in this country in the early 1900's, my ancestor's cabinetry focus began to shift from one of construction to one of refinishing and restoration work.  The actual craft of furniture construction skipped over several generations until taking root once again with myself. 
    

Despite the fact that I was raised around the restoration shop and picked up a certain amount of my "education" vicariously, it wasn't until the early 1970's that I acquired my taste for the woodworking end of the business.  While attending college, I worked in a theatre set shop off and on for three years.  When the people in charge learned of my background, I was often tasked with certain jobs that required woodworking skills that were assumed I had.  Actually, nothing could have been further from the truth at that time.  But being of an age where losing face was clearly not an option, I plunged in and learned by simply "doing" with a bit fakery thrown in for good measure.  Upon graduation with a  BS in English Literature in hand and no real desire to teach (and what else do you use a B.S. in Eng. Lit. for?) I returned home to a depressed economy to work three jobs to make ends meet.  One of those jobs was in the family business where working  "temporarily" has now become over 30 years.  Though I never saw myself in the role of working in the family's line of work, I discovered that I truly had an affinity for it and it grew to be a genuine desire to continue and flourish. 
    

In as much as a major portion of my business still deals with restoration work, today I have taken my skills and craft  and returned to my family's original heritage.  My work in the restoration field has further enhanced my cabinetry skills, as it has truly been an ongoing education in studying the many facets of furniture construction through the years.  My work has been a labor of love, and, for better or worse, my study subjects have always afforded me an opportunity to broaden my scope and hone my skills while providing bread for the table.