West Coast Shoji

Custom Shoji Doors; Japanese Furniture & Interiors

About Us!

West Coast Shoji is run by Tim Ewart. He designs & builds custom Japanese style shoji & furniture. Tim has been doing this for over 20 years from his home workshop in the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia Canada. He’s made everything from a single bi-fold door for a client, to an entire home of shoji doors & cabinets. He also spent much of 2017 working on the interior of a popular Vancouver Kitsilano Japanese restaurant. Tim’s son Dan was part of the family business before he went to culinary arts school & became a professional chef, but he does help out occasionally with his extensive knowledge of staining, finishing and CNC work.
When Tim isn’t in the shop he’s at the dojo practicing Iaido & Kendo.

If you are looking for something different for your home, business or restaurant, a Japanese style can blend with any décor whether it’s Shoji Window Covers, Closet Doors, Room Dividers, Tatami or Meditation Room, CD Cabinet, Kaidan Tansu (step chest), Coffee Table, Bi-fold Door, Desk, Bench or a Lamp.

This trend to traditional classic; the basis of West Coast Shoji’s design, is very popular amongst designers and clients looking for a stand-out piece. Our Asian/Western fusion pieces mix the traditional classic look of Old Japan with the modern needs of a home. The right piece in your home can change the mood & transform the look of an entire room; tie it all together. Shoji doors in particular create a calm Zen like atmosphere. Tim uses different materials for his shoji to suit the area; acrylic for a bathroom or spa; paper for a bedroom or den. The paper diffuses the light while maintaining privacy. See the materials section for more details below.

In the past we have exhibited at the Interior Design Show West & the Port Moody Art Gallery Wood Show. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth. As future exhibitions are not in our plans, please contact us directly if you are interested in seeing any of our products. Our smaller items such as cutting boards, pizza paddles, boxes & charcuterie boards can be found at Artisan Gifts & Flowers on Austin Avenue in Coquitlam.
An article featuring Tim, in the Vancouver Sun, At Home section, from 2008 shows how this trend to traditional classic; the basis of Ewart's designs, was starting to gain popularity. Ten years later this timeless sophisticated look is still going strong. Tim can help you create a custom design using ideas from his extensive library of Japanese interior books, catalogues and personal portfolio.

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If you are local, Tim can deliver & install. If you don't live in the Vancouver area, he can ship. Tim has shipped his furniture & custom shoji all over North America.

Materials

Wood:

Our wood of choice is Red Alder but we have access to all woods. Red Alder is the most plentiful hardwood on the Pacific Coast. It thrives in the low, moist conditions of the Pacific Northwest; is prolific, fast growing specie; strong & durable, light in weight. The grain of Alder is generally very straight, uniform in texture with little distinctive figuring. When freshly cut, alder is almost white, then darkens to a mellow reddish brown after exposure to air. After kiln drying it turns honey brown. Alder glues, sands, finishes well and stains evenly. It’s a perfect wood for furniture, casework, woodenware, moulding and doors.

Paper:

We import shoji paper from Warlon in Japan, their best quality, Tuff Top, cloud dragon pattern. This paper is 4 times stronger than traditional shoji paper.

Our items are made with the utmost attention to detail; dovetail joinery, mortise & tenon half lap, woven kumiko. These processes give our furniture & doors strength and stability. The quality of the product will speak for itself.

Acrylic:

We use 1mm and 2mm cloud dragon acrylic, imported from Warlon. Acrylic works well outdoors & indoors in moisture areas such as bathrooms and kitchens.

Each piece is custom made to the client's specifications, so prices vary depending on the type of wood, finish, paper, hardware and complexity of the job. Please call or email Tim (see Contact Us page) for a quotation on your particular project.

Shoji

Prices start at $39 per square foot

Gallery

Give us a call

(604) 939-6265

Connect online

Email: tim@westcoastshoji.com