The Face of Wine Barrel Furniture Design: Marc Robitaille

It all started in April when Marc Robitaille decided the drab propane fire pit on his deck needed a makeover.

So, he bought a used oak wine barrel and crafted it into an eye-catching wood fire table. “When I started to work with that first wine barrel, it just clicked,” says Marc of LMB Designs in Kamloops. “Very quickly it went from killing some time and playing around woodworking to turning my hobby into a full-time business.”

For years, Marc worked at mines up north as a heavy equipment operator and supervisor. When COVID hit he was laid off and he took the opportunity to set up his own business creating beautiful and functional furniture and accessories from old oak wine barrels. “I’m passionate about this work and this business,” says Marc. “And it shows in every piece I make. They are all custom made and every piece is unique and one of a kind. The character of the wine barrels comes through because we leave some sections of each piece unsanded and exposed so you can see and feel where the red wine saturated the wood for years.” Fire tables made of wine barrel wood are LMB’s No. 1 bestseller. “It started with a quarter barrel fire table and it quickly expanded to a half barrel, three-quarter barrel and full barrel,” explains Marc. “Those barrels can also be regular tables with umbrellas that you need chairs or stools to go round, which I also make out of old wine barrels.”

Also in the portfolio are wine barrel smokers, wine racks, wine caddys, barnwood lights, barrel stave lighting sconces and wine barrel serving trays. “People of all ages love and buy the accessories, fire tables and furniture,” says Marc. “Many are also wine lovers, but not all of them are.” With the natural tie to wine, LMB had a showcase at Harper’s Trail Winery in Kamloops and saw sales and custom orders soar.

This spring and summer they will do many more winery showcases throughout the Thompson and Okanagan. By the way, LMB stands for Lisa, Marc and Bodie, a nod to the whole family’s involvement in making the new business a success. In fact, the keys to success for LMB are determination, hard work, sacrifice and, of course, the resulting stunning, characterladen products.

LMB has a few pieces in the showroom at Marc’s house, which you can view and purchase by appointment. You can also browse online at lmbdesigns.shop or the business’s Facebook or Instagram page. Or you can make custom orders online, which will take about two to three weeks.

Marc has also hired another carpenter to help keep up with demand. “The business is far exceeding anything I first envisioned,” says Marc. “I’d say we’re probably where I thought we would be after five years in business. It’s amazing. I’m so happy my hobby turned into a business. You know what they say: If you love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life.”