the Story Behind Olive
Olive was founded on the belief that cabinetry should feel like part of the architecture of a home rather than something simply fitted into it. We are drawn to cupboards with the presence and character of furniture — pieces with thoughtful proportions, honest materials and details that reveal the hand of the maker.
Our cabinetry is handcrafted in Ontario using traditional face-frame construction, real timber and time-honoured joinery. We value the natural qualities of wood: the grain, subtle variations and gentle patina that develop over time. Rather than striving for something overly perfect or manufactured, we embrace the small nuances that give handmade pieces warmth, depth and individuality. Every detail is considered, from the width of a rail and the proportion of a door to the finish, hardware and way a piece sits within a room. Our makers bring generations of craftsmanship to each collection, creating kitchens, vanities, wardrobes, built-ins and freestanding pieces designed to feel substantial, enduring and entirely at home in their surroundings. For us, good cabinetry is not about following a trend. It is about making something useful and beautiful, with the permanence to remain part of a home for many years to come.
Meet the Founders
Olive began with an appreciation for the details that make an old home feel special. We have always been drawn to architecture with a sense of history — deep window sills, generous mouldings, well-proportioned doors, old cupboards and pieces of furniture that feel as though they have always belonged. There is a quiet permanence to these spaces, where materials age naturally, proportions feel considered and nothing appears overly new or manufactured.
Through years of designing homes, we kept coming back to the same idea: cabinetry should carry that same sense of character. It should feel less fitted and perfect, and more substantial, soulful and connected to the architecture around it. That became the foundation of Olive.
We look to traditional furniture, historic interiors and architectural details for inspiration, paying close attention to proportion, construction and the small decisions that give a piece presence within a room. The width of a rail, the depth of a frame, the way a cupboard meets a wall and the warmth of a wood finish all matter. These are the details that allow cabinetry to feel as though it belongs rather than simply being installed. We have partnered with Mennonite makers here in Ontario whose knowledge of woodworking and traditional construction has been passed down through generations. Their approach to making reflects much of what we value: honest materials, careful craftsmanship and the belief that things worth living with should be made properly.
In a world where so much is designed to be replaced, Olive is our way of creating something more lasting. Cabinetry with the feeling of furniture, made with beautiful proportions, thoughtful construction and enough character to become better with age.
Pieces that settle into a home, develop a patina and, we hope, remain part of it for generations.
— Steve and Alyssa