Southern Boys Woodworks is Alabama Maker creating décor from the discarded
Regina and Jonathan Killingsworth create inspired art with Southern Boys Woodworks. (Michael Tomberlin / Alabama NewsCenter)
Southern Boys Woodworks (McCalla)
The Makers: Jonathan and Regina Killingsworth
It’s no surprise that a Christian minister would find beauty in the busted.
That’s the case with Jonathan Killingsworth, a pastor and owner of Southern Boys Woodworks.
Killingsworth takes reclaimed wood from old pallets, windows and other lumber and turns them into home décor. Most often his wife, Regina, paints them and adds quotes from The Bible or Christian hymns.
He sees the connection between his two pursuits.
“It’s old, discarded wood but given new life,” Killingsworth said. “To me, being a pastor, that’s what ultimately I represent when I’m talking about my Lord and savior – how he takes something that’s discarded or decrepit and breathes new life into it through his Holy Spirt. It’s the same thing I’m doing with the wood, just a little bit lesser, thought.”
Southern Boys Woodworks is an Alabama Maker finding beauty in the broken from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
Even though his father has often done woodwork, it’s not something Killingsworth showed interest in when he was younger. It wasn’t until climbing health care premiums combined with the modest income of a minister caused his wife to urge him to try to make something out of wood they could sell.
That led to Killingsworth working up hundreds of picture frames he made from pallet wood, but the couple still had no place to sell them.
That opportunity came when the Riverchase Galleria had space for a pop-up shop. They quickly sold out of the frames and produced other wood products and home décor items along with some boutique clothing and opened Southern Grace at the Galleria.
They decided to close the store about a year ago but continue to produce items for sale at art shows and maker markets as well as through their Facebook page.
Killingsworth said they would like to find boutique shops and other retail outlets interested in carrying their items.
The product: Wood art made from reclaimed wood.
Take home: A painted art piece with lines from “Amazing Grace” (prices vary).
Southern Boys Woodworks can be found on Facebook where they also announced future art show and maker market appearances.
Email at southernboyswood@gmail.com.
