Birch Island Rustics is a small company that builds and markets Adirondack Style Rustic furniture.  We are Keith Wrigley, the woodworker/artist, and Gretchen sunderland, his wife, who handles shows, marketing duties, and is always helpful searching the forest for rustic materials.  Gretchen's full time job is that of a life coach.  To learn more about Gretchen and life coaching check out salesandlifecoach.com.  Keith and Gretchen have one son, Zephyr who lives in Denver with his wife Jennifer.

Keith Wrigley grew up summers on Lake George and enjoyed building a wooden boat as young teenager.  He opted out of college with 2 years of engineering school, moved to Arizona and worked as a carpenter.  After 3 years in the hot, dry Sonoran Desert Keith moved back to Lake George and rebuilt the family camp on Dunham's Bay while working around the lake as a carpenter.  Keith then went to guitar-making school in Vermont and studied under master builder Charles Fox.  After building several guitars, Keith took a job as a cabinetmaker at an architectural millwork shop in Glens Falls, NY where he worked for three years.

Fifteen years spin by and several other careers, mostly in sales. Then Keith was encouraged by his wife Gretchen to go back to what he loved: working and creating with wood.  Since then Keith has built a workshop, complete with a kiln at his home in Queensbury, NY.  He can be found there playing his guitar on work breaks or out searching the forest for materials for his next rustic work of art.

Keith and Gretchen love the Adirondacks and are fortunate to have a wonderful old camp on Paradox Lake in the heart of the eastern Adirondacks.  They plan to improve the cottage and retire there, spending winters cruising southern waters in a boat.

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                                                                                       Last updated in January, 2003