At the intersection of art, history and practicality lies Working Hands NOLA, a company that produces beautiful, hand-crafted kitchen and household items primarily out of salvaged woods.
Working Hands is co-owned by Julia McLanahan and Garen Walker, whose diverse backgrounds blend well into their work. Walker served 15 years in the U.S. Army. His final post was in New Orleans, and he said he fell in love with the city. After working stints in residential and then commercial construction for years, he decided to scale back to fine carpentry and woodworking.
McLanahan has her state horticulture license and worked in landscaping and plant sales. The two met at a work site and soon found their interests and talents offered promising possibilities, ultimately leading to the establishment of Working Hands in early 2025.
Among those interests is a love of New Orleans history, particular as a place of architectural craftmanship, hence the focus on reclaimed and repurposed wood.
“We take whatever we can and refinish it,” explained Walker. “It adds to the beauty of New Orleans.”
“We are giving the wood new life and reincorporating it into the city we all love so much,” added McLanahan, showing off some examples in their Broad Street workshop. Those that have been to the popular Bywater restaurant N7 have likely seen some of the company’s handiwork — Working Hands constructed the restaurant’s driftwood wine bar.
Much of their material is obtained from demolition at job sites, but they admit to occasional dumpster-diving.
“If you see a beautiful piece of wood, you can’t just leave it there!” Walker exclaimed. The two have even pulled flotsam from the Mississippi River, such as a piece of spalted maple. The term “spalted” refers to wood that has begun to deteriorate in a way that leaves it still workable for furniture but with unusual patterns and colors.
Walker said the company never uses treated lumber for their products and avoids new growth wood where possible, noting that after 12 years in woodworking “you learn what the good wood is, and you have an eye for the old growth.”
Working Hands’ most popular items include cutting boards, roux spoons, coasters and other kitchen items. They also build furniture, mostly custom. While offered at a higher price point than big box items, their handcrafted furniture and household items, Walker argued, last much longer.
“You buy this one time and you’ll have it for the rest of your life,” he said.
Despite the popularity of their work, McLanahan said it’s been a really hard year for small businesses.
“People are cautious; no one knows what the economy is doing,” she said. “The price of gas and groceries can be the difference that stops someone from buying an artisanal cutting board.”
To meet this challenge, Working Hands is thinking big: The company recently obtained its interior/exterior remodeling license and is expanding into smaller scale, non-structural renovations. Drawing on McLanahan’s landscaping experience, this will include building planters, pergolas, decks and other backyard enhancements.
“People really need those places where they can go to relieve all that stress,” she noted.
By reusing historic New Orleans materials in modern ways, the couple reaffirms traditional craftmanship and architecture in a very locally focused way.
“It’s more important than ever to stay local and build your community,” said McLanahan. “We’re just happy to be here and happy to be building things.”
Working Hands
1403 South Broad Street
WorkingHandsNola.com // 504-517-6281 // @WorkingHandsNola
