History.

In their youth, Andrew and Liz met at church, fell in love, and married right out of cabinetry and cosmetology school, respectively. They settled in the Brainerd Lakes area, where they grew as a family, bought a small house, and developed their knowledge of the construction/restoration world.

Designing and dreaming has always been part of their lives. As a kid, Liz took inspiration from her Country Home magazine subscription (which she paid for with her allowance), arranging antique books and knickknacks in her bedroom. Sometimes she couldn’t help herself and she would rearrange her mother’s things, too. She and her cousin Megan, who is now the lead designer at TC, often reminisce about their childhood affinity for antique stores and interior design. (Yes, it is a dream come true for them to work together!)

When Andrew was a kid, he was endlessly drawing floorplans with trampoline rooms and spiral staircases and hidden passageways. When he was a teenager, Andrew felt inspired to redesign their family’s landscaping and his parents obliged. During high school he worked at a log furniture company, where he gained further knowledge and inspiration to build things.

From Traditional Cabinetry to T. Laurel Designers & Cabinetmakers.

While employed at his first cabinet making job after tech school, Andrew noticed a lack of quality materials and timeless design in the industry. With his creativity and conviction, he set out to get back to the basics: classic inset cabinetry and wood interiors, mindfully made.

Traditional Cabinetry launched in December of 2006, with Andrew and his business partner, Chris, eager to build custom products with style and integrity that would stand the test of time. A couple years into their partnership, Chris moved away and Andrew became sole proprietor.

As a caterpillar is renamed when its metamorphosis is complete, the words ‘Traditional’ and ‘Cabinetry’ can no longer hold us. T. Laurel Designers & Cabinetmakers (T, an homage to the Toftness name, and Laurel for the street we started on) is our butterfly phase.

Together.

Since its inception, T. Laurel has grown beyond Andrew to include more craftspeople. There are clever machines helping with accuracy and time/product efficiency. And after years of Liz homeschooling the kids, it was time to let them fly. In 2020 the Toftness children transitioned to public school and Liz was able to officially join the team, sharing her love of design with the workforce and clients of T. Laurel. 

It brings Andrew and Liz joy to see this small company use their unique gifts, creatively working together to brainstorm, design, and build for their customers. The team has worked through challenges, continuing to learn and grow, professionally and personally. There is beauty to be made and beauty to be drawn out in everyday spaces. T. Laurel Designers & Cabinetmakers love to be part of the story of ‘home’.