Welcome to Built In Charleston. My name is Brenden Callaway, and my journey in woodworking began in my hometown of Durban, South Africa, where I learned the meticulous craft of high-end cabinet making from my father, Ronald Callaway. For our family, woodworking is more than a profession; it is a lifelong dedication to craftsmanship.
Our History: From London to the Lowcountry
Early in my career, my brother Liam and I immigrated to London, England, where we established our own bespoke cabinetry company. We spent years working in historic, affluent homes across southwest London neighborhoods like Knightsbridge, Kensington, and Chelsea. Crafting seamless built-ins for century-old properties taught me invaluable lessons in precision—specifically, how to create flawless, beautiful cabinetry despite the challenges of rolling floors and crooked walls.
(My brother Liam eventually relocated to Perth, Australia, where he now owns and operates a similar custom woodworking business, which you can view at www.built-in-wa.com.au ).
In 2016, following the birth of my first daughter, my American wife and I decided it was time to put our roots down in Lowcountry soil. We relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, to grow our family and establish Built In Charleston as a highly specialized custom cabinetry workshop.
Our Specialization: Elevating Your Living Spaces
At Built In Charleston, my focus is entirely on designing and building functional, luxury cabinetry for your dedicated living areas. Our primary specialties include:
- Entertainment Centers
- Custom Home Libraries
- Home Offices
- Audio/Visual (AV) Centers
Note: By dedicating our expertise, time, and workshop resources entirely to mastering these specific living spaces, we deliberately do not take on kitchen or bathroom projects. This focus allows us to deliver unparalleled quality and attention to detail in the rooms where you relax, work, and entertain.
Precision Craftsmanship & Premium Materials
Every project we undertake is 100% custom-tailored to your home. We blend traditional bespoke woodworking techniques with modern engineering, utilizing CNC technology to precision-cut all of our sheet goods to within of an inch.
We are committed to using only the finest materials available today, including:
- A1 grade veneered plywood
- Exotic hardwoods
- Top-tier hardware and custom dovetailed drawer boxes
- The highest-quality HDF products and premium cabinet paints
- A wide variety of custom 5-piece door options
Signature Custom Countertops
Our bespoke hardwood countertops are a signature element of our work, featuring beautifully finished exotic woods like walnut, ambrosia maple, and white oak.
The building process is rigorous:
- Careful Selection & Milling: We begin with raw, kiln-dried hardwoods that we machine perfectly flat and square in our shop. I personally hand-select every board, discarding any piece that does not meet our strict aesthetic standards.
- Unbreakable Joinery: The boards are joined using a hidden tenon method with a Festool Domino system and premium adhesives. The resulting surface is so exceptionally strong and stable that we have never experienced a split.
- Artistic Finishing: We believe in highlighting the natural character of the wood. Any defining knots we choose to feature are stabilized with high-grade epoxy. We utilize black epoxy to complement the deep, rich tones of walnut, and clear epoxy to preserve and enhance the natural grain of oak and maple.
Thank you for visiting Built In Charleston. If you are looking to elevate your home with exceptional, custom woodworking, I invite you to reach out so we can discuss your vision.
Brenden Callaway
Owner & Craftsman, Built In Charleston
