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About
2020
a story about making and breaking things
Hey, I’m Jay
I was born and raised on a farm in South Africa.
I grew up spending my days getting up to no good, building motorcycles, and taking things apart just to see how they worked.
When I was 15, my dad and I built my grandparents’ home and I realized my great love for working with my hands. I was fortunate to be surrounded by brilliantly creative family members; my gran made (freakishly) realistic porcelain dolls, my grandfather worked in construction and carpentry, and my dad could fix or create anything he put his mind to.
After school, I went on to work for a small furniture company in South Africa for two years, giving me the opportunity to delve into wood science and custom furniture design.
At 21, I left it all behind to discover the world. I traveled for 5 years between more than 30 countries. I attempted to be the first person to paddle board Scandinavia’s longest river, circumnavigated Scotland by bicycle, and hitchhiked across Europe. I learned a lot about myself and the world, and thankfully figured out what I wanted to spend my life doing.
In 2018, I stumbled upon Boulder, Colorado on a whim and fell in love with the Rockies. It was here that I met my wife, developed lifelong friendships, and found my home. With all the pieces falling into place, I decided it was time to realize my dream of owning my own furniture company. At the beginning I didn’t have money to buy the woodworking tools necessary to take on this endeavor, and spent my time taking on handyman tasks and setting up my garage as a working space.
Eventually friends and strangers alike began noticing my work and asking me to build them furniture and convert adventure vans for them.
And so Lekker Creations was born.
What does Lekker mean?
“Lekker” originates from Afrikaans and is used to refer to something beautiful, fun, or remarkable — exactly what I strive to create in my work.
MEET MY FAMILY
Everything I do, I do for them.
Kristin and I have been married for three years and counting. Kaia, an adopted malamute/german shepherd mix, is the newest addition to our family.
my wife
Kristin
my wolf
Kaia
my home
Our Family
proud one tree planted partner
For every item we sell, we plant 10 trees.
We’ve partnered with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization focused on global reforestation, to help offset our carbon footprint. Feel proud of your purchase and help us to leave our planet in a better state than we found it.
Our Values
These are the principles that guide everything we do, from how we source materials and interact with vendors to how we navigate each project with our clients.
Kindness
We believe in treating every human with dignity, empathy, and respect.
Quality
We believe that the materials with which we surround ourselves can have an immensely positive effect on our overall quality of life and mental wellbeing.
Curiosity
When we build out objects, furniture, or spaces, we want for the end results to be a beautiful and enduring reflection of what makes our clients unique.
