John Okumura, an architectural
woodworker, specialized in Japanese interior
design elements that include Japanese shoji screens, Tokonoma,
and tansu, as well as experience in Japanese restaurants, Japanese tea rooms, Japanese rooms
for residential settings, Azumaya (gazebo) for
gardens, and designer cabinetry for commercial as well as
residential environments. This website was developed to
share with you the work of John Okumura. John has a been
known to many designers and architects for his work in Japanese
Interior Designs.
John's began his business in 1956 as Custom Craft
Cabinets, in Chicago, IL. Custom Craft Cabinets was the
partnership between John Okumura and his brother-in-law, Akio Uyeda
on North Halsted Street, in Chicago.
The two developed a niche business in
high end, high quality architectural woodworking. In the 1980s, their decades long
partnership ended with Akio's retirement.
John continued his business, renamed in 1988 as
Custom Cabinet Corporation. John Okumura, brought
over 50 years of architectural woodworking experience in both
Japanese interiors and traditional fine cabinetry to his
clients. By combining unparalleled knowledge of Japanese
wood joinery with specialized woodworking techniques, working
with architects, interior designers, builders, construction
firms and skilled tradesmen he sought to deliver the highest
standards of architectural woodworking possible to his
customers. This has resulted in a reputation for
veritable high quality and a stellar
reputation among the many architects and designers who have
engaged his firm.
At the end of 1997, John sold his business to another firm, and
as of 1-1-1998 Custom Cabinet Corporation no longer functioned
as a corporate entity.
John worked for the owner of the firm that bought his
business. There, John provided operational, sales and consulting expertise in his
lifelong area of experience until he was forced to
retire in 2003.
While many of his clients were private
residences, his most visible work is the wooden gate in
Chicago's Osaka Gardens. It was one of the last large
projects John Okumura and Custom Cabinet Corporation completed
prior to John's selling his business. Custom Craft
Cabinets, Custom Cabinet Corporation, John Okumura and Akio Uyeda were also renowned for their shoji screens, which were
double hinged and designed so that the paper could be easily
changed out.
This website is a memorial tribute to his work
and is sponsored by his family. Content is protected by a
previous copyright and current copyrights. Photographs are from his family
member's private collection. We would also like to thank
"CMC" for developing this site and
managing it for the family.
Architects, designers and clients are welcome to
contact us via the Guest Link. Due to the volume of
responses, please understand that not all messages can be
returned. Please do not contact the marketing firm for
questions about John.
