Meet Andy and Desiree Bungo: The Prodigal Carpenter, LLC An Artisan Woodworking Company

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andy and Desiree Bungo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andy and Desiree, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Creating a quality product that combines function and outstanding craftsmanship is a very satisfying process. Each item we create is unique, with wood varieties and design carefully considered, and attention given to the finishing details. From the first “conception” through each stage of sawing, planing, turning, sanding or finishing, the creative process is our “happy place.”. When any creation, be it an 3-D end grain cutting board, a rustic, live edge charcuterie board, finely crafted artisan Peppermill or bowl, or even a simple handcrafted hardwood spatula, are chosen by a customer, it makes us happy. We’re never satisfied unless a customer is satisfied, and the reward of hearing a customer’s pleased reaction to their purchase keeps us striving to give each product the attention it deserves, no matter the price point. Because our bedrock belief is that the quality of our products and our interaction with our customers should always be “above expectation”….. happiness comes when the process culminates in one of our fine artisan wood products becoming a treasured piece in a customer’s home. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It takes time and patience to build a reputation………one customer at a time. We determined early in our process that we would never be the “largest” producer of cutting boards, but rather work hard to be known for superior artisan craftsmanship that made owning one of our products something special. (check out our signature collection on our website) As we first began participating in Atlanta area festivals and markets several years ago, we quickly saw that not every individual was part of our target market, and that income level was not the prime determinate. A love and appreciation for craftsmanship and artisan wood characterized our target customer base, and it crossed income demographics. Consequently we sought ways to offer a range of price points without compromising the attention paid to each individual product. We apply the same standard of quality expectation to our $30 Bar Boards that we do to a $350 end grain cutting board……..we’re not into mass production and we never will be. It’s what makes owning one of The Prodigal Carpenter’s products special.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We enjoy the benefits of living in a truly quaint and charming small town (Cartersville) outside of metropolitan Atlanta………so in that respect we enjoy the best of both worlds. If we were showing our friend what our area had to offer, we’d probably start with our home of Cartersville, GA and the world class museums our small town offers. The Booth Western Art Museum and the Tellus Science Museum are each Smithsonian affiliates and truly amazing facilities. Most are surprised to find them here in our small town north of Atlanta. We’d definitely spend a few hours exploring our charming “downtown”, making a special stop at “Olive Tree and Vine”, a specialty balsamic vinegar and olive oil shop where a selection of our inventory is sold. Perhaps lunch or dinner at The Cellar restaurant or maybe Maine Street Coastal. If they were partial to hiking or “outdoor” exploration we’d take them to the Etowah Indian Mounds Historic site, a 54 acre archeological site here in Cartersville. Perhaps we’d take in a special show at the Fox Theater downtown in Atlanta, or visit the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, the Georgia Aquarium, or the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Maybe there would be a special exhibit at the High Museum in Atlanta. What to eat? The choices are so rich and varied we’d be hard pressed to decide ahead of time, but perhaps a special dinner at Chops, lunch at Bartaco and a visit to Highland Bakery. Ponce City Market would offer an afternoon’s diversion…….or any one of the multitude of great Atlanta parks. We’d be hard pressed to run out of things to do.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Prodigal Carpenter story is rooted in the transforming power of Jesus Christ in the life of individuals. Just a a piece of “raw wood” reveals remarkable artistic beauty when turned, sanded and finished……..so our lives increasingly reflect the beauty and character of our creator and savior as we are turned and moulded by His hand in our life. From blessing us with fathers who instilled a strong work ethic and pride in work to mothers who consistently exhorted us that “anything worth doing is worth doing well”……God is constantly refining and transforming us and calling us to strive for excellence. For a bit more of the Prodigal Carpenter Andy’s story go to : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqF_0Mfp_VU&feature=emb_title

Website: theprodigalcarpenter.net
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Youtube: The Prodigal Carpenter
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