fbpx vie magazine subscribe button

Real Wood Series

Crafted Stories with Host Eddie San Juan

By Addie Strickland | Photos courtesy of E.F. San Juan

Custom houses are built to last generations and be passed down, captivating visitors and residents with beautiful details and stories of their own. Much of the work on a home like this happens before the ground is broken or a saw meets wood. The effort it takes to plan a new custom residence can be overlooked, and some details might go unnoticed even when it is completed. E. F. San Juan is a family-led company working with the best architects and builders to create some of those details, specializing in custom wood moulding, millwork, and cabinetry. Their portfolio of craftsmanship can be seen and experienced in the affluent communities along Scenic Highway 30-A and surrounding areas in Florida and beyond. With their work on display in some of the most critically acclaimed New Urbanist towns, such as Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach, and Seaside, E. F. San Juan’s far-reaching legacy and influence were built from a dream and maintained with generations worth of hard work.

Edward A. San Juan, Edward “Ed” F. San Juan, and Eddie San Juan—three generations who run the custom architectural millwork, moulding, and cabinetry business in Youngstown, Florida

Now, through the voice of operations manager Eddie San Juan, the story of these beautiful wood products is being shared from start to finish. Real Wood: Crafted Stories with Eddie San Juan is a video series created to take viewers behind the scenes and educate them on the tools and practices used in E. F. San Juan’s state-of-the-art workshop. The skilled craftsmanship of E. F. San Juan is displayed in every piece of art its team has created over the last four generations.

The San Juan family’s roots in the woodworking industry can be traced to the middle of the twentieth century. At that time, Eddie San Juan, father of company founder Edward F. “Ed” San Juan, was a master craftsman and cabinetmaker. Inspired by his father’s skill and entrepreneurial spirit, Ed started the company E. F. San Juan, Inc. in 1976, and his son, Edward, joined him in 1987. Eddie, Ed’s eldest grandson, joined the team in 2017, and his eldest granddaughter Lydia came aboard in 2019. In addition, Ed’s daughter-in-law, Mary Kathryn, and son-in-law, Buddy, are also part of the E. F. San Juan team.

Eddie San Juan on the set of Real Wood: Crafted Stories with Eddie San Juan Season One
 

As the patriarch of the family and business, Ed San Juan still regularly mentors craftspeople and oversees projects. Since 1976, his leadership has fostered a creative work environment where stunning wood pieces are crafted. The generational mindset of E. F. San Juan demonstrates the strength of its character and values as a company and the detail and care its team members put into all their work. Capturing the daily routine and lifestyle of the business is the only way to show how this generational legacy was built and is maintained. E. F. San Juan’s Real Wood series takes you to the shop floor and explores the inner workings of this state-of-the-art woodworking facility.

In Season One of Real Wood, Eddie gives viewers an up-close look at the production processes in E. F. San Juan’s expansive woodshop in Youngstown, Florida. Over four and a half decades of working with some of the top architects, builders, and interior designers in the business, the modest sawmill facility and tools have evolved to use the highest quality practices featuring the world’s finest woodworking equipment. Season One features five episodes, each showing a different product in the shop with details about the vision behind it and the tools of the trade. It is mesmerizing to watch this art being created as the artist brings wood to life, and that wood, in turn, brings life to the home for which it is designed. This is a beautiful testament to how nature, coupled with a family’s craftsmanship and love for their practice, can produce a lasting legacy.

Edward and Ed working on a custom fireplace mantel in the state-of-the-art E. F. San Juan woodshop

Additionally, the short film E. F. San Juan: Documenting a Family Legacy includes a home tour and other prominent names in architecture and construction talking about their work with E. F. San Juan, including Seaside, Florida, founder Robert Davis; architect Geoff Chick of Geoff Chick & Associates; and Todd Lance of Alys Beach Construction.

Eddie San Juan on the set of Real Wood: Crafted Stories with Eddie San Juan Season One

Season Two of Real Wood, created and produced by The Idea Boutique with Color Earth Productions, will debut this summer. In addition to featuring some of the team’s favorite projects, it will include looks at the finished products in gorgeous custom homes across the Gulf Coast. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the workshop and let Eddie educate you on the techniques and processes used to produce the finest custom architectural mouldings, columns, windows, doors, gates, paneling, staircases, cabinetry, and more.

— V —


Season One of the Real Wood series is available to watch at Youtube.com/@e.f.sanjuan8247 or EFSanJuan.com/videos. To stay connected with E. F. San Juan, follow them on Instagram at @e.f.sanjuan.



Read Responsibly

VIE Magazine - The Art & Design Issue November 2021
VIE Magazine January 2021 Special Commemorative Edition
VIE Magazine September 2020 Wanderlust Issue, Fancy Camps, The Idea Boutique
VIE Magazine August 2020 Art & Culture Issue, Nathan Alan Yoakum Art
VIE Magazine - Architecture & Design Issue - July 2020
VIE Magazine - Decor and Home Issue - June 2020
VIE Magazine May 2020 Entertainment Issue, Leslie Odom Jr
VIE Magazine - April 2020 Culinary Issue
VIE Magazine March 2020 The Fashion Edit, VONDOM, Alys Beach Fl, Digital Graffiti, Tres Chic, isidro dunbar Modern Interiors, Digital Graffiti Festival
VIE Magazine February 2020 Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine - Travel Issue - January 2020 - Tanzania Safari Cover
VIE Magazine - Women's Issue - December 2019 - Tina Brown Cover
VIE NOV19 Goodness Issue
VIE Magazine, September 2019 Art & Culture Issue, Paul Hanninen
VIE Magazine - August 2019 - The Architecture and Design Issue
VIE Magazine - July 2019 - The Artist Issue
VIE Magazine - June 2019 - Fashion Edit
VIE Magazine - May 2019 - Culinary Issue
VIE Magazine - April 2019 - The Health & Wellness Issue
VIE Magazine - Special Entertainment Edition - March 2019
VIE Magazine February 2019 Luxury Homes & Technology Issue with Robbie Antonio of Revolution Precrafted
VIE Magazine - January 2019 - Southern Sophisticate Issue Cover
VIE Magazine - Special Anniversary Travel Edition - December 2018
VIE Magazine - The Goodness Issue - November 2018
VIE Magazine - The Art & Culture Issue - October 2018
VIE Magazine - Home & Garden Issue - September 2018
VIE Magazine - August 2018 Animal Issue
VIE Magazine - July 2018 Architecture & Design Issue - Subscribe to the magazine!
VIE Magazine - June 2018 Travel & Tech Issue
VIE Magazine - May 2018 Couture Issue
VIE Magazine - The Culinary Issue - April 2018 Cover - Chef James Briscione and Brooke Parkhurst
VIE Magazine - The Entertainers Issue - March 2018
VIE Magazine - February 2018 Destination Travel Issue
VIE Magazine - January 2018 Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine, The Sophisticate Issue, December 2017
VIE Magazine - November 2017 Art & Culture Issue
VIE Magazine - October 2017 Home & Garden Issue
VIE Magazine | September 2017 | The Stories and Storytellers Issue
VIE Magazine - The Adventure Issue - August 2017
VIE Magazine - July 2017 - Art & Artist Issue
VIE Magazine - The Voyager Issue - June 2017
VIE magazine 2017 March-April Cover South Walton Fashion Week
VIE Magazine - January/February 2017 - The Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine - Nov/Dec 2016 The Sophisticate Issue
christian siriano vie magazine september october 2016 vie magazine
the modern minimalist issue
Summertime!
the culinary and couture issue march april 2016 vie magazine
the voyager issue alys beach vie magazine january february 2016
cultural issue vie magazine november december 2015
home and garden issue vie magazine september october 2015
the art and style issue vie magazine july august 2015
the wedding issue 2015 May June vie magazine
the food and fashion issue vie magazine march april 2015
the travel issue vie magazine january february 2015
the music issue vie magazine 2014 november december
The Animal Issue vie magazine september october 2014
the home and garden issue vie magazine july august 2014
the wedding issue vie magazine may june 2014
emeril lagasse food and fashion vie magazine
the men's issue january february 2014
the music issue november december 2013 vie magazine
the home and garden issue 2013 october september
the wedding issue vie magazine july august 2013
the artist issue may june 2013 vie magazine
the food and fashion issue march april 2013
the men's issue january february 2013 vie magazine
The Holiday Issue
the love issue july august 2012
the all american summer may june 2012
the entertainment issue march april 2012
the fashion issue vie magazine winter 2011
the home and garden issue vie magazine fall 2011
the anniversary edition vie magazine summer 2011
the wedding issue vie magazine spring 2011
vie magazine the holiday issue 2010 Dec
vintage swimsuits vie magazine 2010 Fall
judith march designer vie magazine summer 2010
wedding giveaway vie magazine spring 2010
holiday gift guide vie magazine winter 2009
emarketing explosion vie magazine fall 2009
tribute to mother's day vie magazine summer 2009
james and robert redford vie magazine spring 2009
zz top vie magazine fall winter 2008
project dreams vie magazine new york fashion week
Sign-up for VIEmail

Sign up for VIEmail

X

A LIFESTYLE