Heart and soul: Belle Vernon native making impression as woodworker
The bar in is Russ's Tavern in Belle Vernon was made by woodworker Anthony Mavrakis.
A table made by Anthony Mavrakis
A piece created by woodworker Anthony Mavrakis
This table was created by woodworker Anthony Mavrakis.
This table was created by woodworker Anthony Mavrakis.
Woodworker Anthony Mavrakis created this table.
Woodworker Anthony Mavrakis creates and sells creations like this one.
By John Sacco
Anthony Mavrakis has brightened the days and rooms of many of his woodworking customers.
He is knowledgeable, resourceful, talented, meticulous, highly productive and popular. Mavrakis is a master of woodworking and of making people feel good.
He was previously employed building barns, but said he was feeling the need to do more to challenge his imagination and be more creative.
“It was becoming real routine,” said Mavrakis, who grew up in Belle Vernon and currently resides in Fayette City. “I was getting good at it very quickly. I learned to make steps, self-taught. One day I approached the guy I was working for about a business partnership to do more, get into some different things.
“He wasn’t interested. So, I left him and started doing my own thing. I moved on to do work that was more challenging and exotic. I just wanted to do something more with my hands. I wanted to work on creating more extreme things.”
What is unique about Mavrakis’ approach is his imagination, willingness to try and an ability to waste nothing.
“I like to make use of what I have, sawdust, trimmings, everything,” he said.
This guy can make it all – coffee tables, end tables, wine racks, cutting boards, bird baths, walking sticks, butcher blocks.
You ask for it.
Mavrakis will produce it.
He transformed Russ’s Tavern on Broad Avenue in Belle Vernon into a bright new atmosphere.
Mavrakis, 34, is friends with owner Tom Russell’s son. They had talked about some possibilities of making some changes.
Tom agreed to allow Mavrakis to go to work.
The woodworker had found an older back walnut tree – on Broad Avenue – and cut it down in 2017.
“The tree would have been used for firewood or tossed over the hill,” Mavrakis said. “It was between 80 and 90 years old. Two-and-a-half years later, it was repurposed on Broad Avenue.
“That was such a massive undertaking.”
The length of the bar in Russ’s Tavern is 39 feet.
“It’s one of the coolest things I have ever done,” Mavrakis said. “It is made of the black walnut from the tree trunk. That project definitely has made me proud. I’m prouder of that project than anything I have done.
“I was able to use wood from that tree on Broad Avenue and find it a new home about 300 yards where it stood on Broad Avenue. It is important to me.”
Justine Russell, Tom’s wife, said Mavrakis’ work changed the look and the atmosphere of the bar, which her husband has been sole proprietor of since the mid-1980s. The tavern has been owned and operated by Tom Russell’s family since 1964.
“(Anthony) took us to his shop and showed us some of his work,” Justine Russell said.
“He did a fantastic job. It’s better than we could ever imagine. Anthony puts his heart and soul into his work. He is so passionate, just does a great job. He is so detailed oriented.
“You can’t imagine how much it upgraded the whole place. Our bar customers were very pleased. It is unique and what he did, we had never seen before. We have an ‘L’ shaped bar with three seams. He filled those seams and sealed them with colored material. It brightened it up a lot. It changed the complexion. It was truly like having a new bar.”
Mavrakis’ resin tables are popular, but the cutting boards he makes are hot right now.
He said he is currently “backed up” with orders for cutting boards.
“They’re a little complicated,” Mavrakis said. “I have about 12 to 13 to make right now.
“Not everyone can have a $500 to $1,000 resin table in their house, but most can afford a cutting board.”
Mavrakis said about 75% of his work is done alone.
“I’ll bring in some help for really big projects,” he said.
He credits his photographer, Matt Little, for playing a big part in getting the proper images of his work to the public.
“Matt’s a good friend, a classmate and we graduated together,” Mavrakis said.
“I give him a lot of credit for my success.”
Anthony Mavrakis’ work can be seen on Instagram at forest_2_table.