Robby Pedersen

A master cabinet maker, Robby has been handcrafting quality 19th-century-style heirloom furniture for more than 15 years. After graduating from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in education and history, Robby worked for 10 years as the cabinetmaker at Living History Farms, a historical museum in Urbandale, Iowa. He also studied under a modern master cabinetmaker in Kansas City. Robby has written over 30 articles for Better Homes and Garden's Wood magazine as a special interest writer. He now integrates his background in education with knowledge and research on immigrants who settled in the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries, blending them all into each piece of furniture he creates.

The showroom and studio in Story City, Iowa are located in an historic main street building originally built in the late 1800s. The space also serves as a working museum open to the public. On display is one of the Midwest's largest assortments of 19th-century woodworking tools, including an 1860s foot-powered lathe. Robby also uses the space to teach and demonstrate hands-on programs to schools and other educational groups. Additionally, he offers woodworking classes on furniture building, using tools and techniques of the 19th-century trade.