ABOUT/CONTACT

ABOUT
“My two greatest passions are to be the best role model and father I can possibly be, and to design and create one-of-a-kind pieces and tell their stories.” TM

Beyond Work


McClellan loves travel and time spent outdoors. “I am an avid snowboarder, fly fisher, mountain biker, Harley-riding all around outdoor junkie,” says Tim. You can also catch Tim and wife, Erika, on the golf course, horseback riding in the mountains, driving one of Tim’s custom classic trucks, and entertaining their dog, Pistol. 

Biography


Tim was born in north Florida in 1969 to parents John and Dorothy McClellan. He was the fifth child of nine. Throughout his childhood, the family moved to New Jersey, Texas, and West Virginia following John’s work.  

Tim’s fondest and wildest childhood memories are of their years spent on the banks of the Shenandoah River, reviving an 1800’s 100 acre estate. The kids roamed the farm hunting, fishing, gardening, and working to renovate the 10,000 square foot home. For Tim, “It was paradise.”

Tim graduated with honors from High School in Potomac, Maryland. Determining that college wasn’t in his cards, he headed West to explore the rugged and beautiful country described by Louis L’amour, whose novels Tim devoured as an adolescent. Tim’s first stop was Northern Idaho, where he, several siblings, and his mom built a log cabin off grid just south of the Canadian border.

McClellan then moved to Everett, Washington in 1990 after visiting his brother, John, “fooled by a rare stretch of sunny Northwestern weather.” He started a car washing business serving local dealerships, but soon got pulled a different direction. Countering a dare, Tim built a log bed for a friend from timbers salvaged from nearby slash and burn piles left by the loggers. His fate was sealed. In 1992, McClellan started Whittle Man Furniture.  

Tim landed in the historic copper mining town of Jerome, AZ in 1995, after a visit to help sister, Teri, open a sandwich shop. He soaked up the sun, drove back to Washington, packed up his belongings and moved to Arizona immediately. Soon, he leased the former gymnasium of the abandoned local high school to launch Western Heritage Furniture.

“I started Western Heritage Furniture with the purpose of reusing discarded materials to create one-of-a-kind pieces of heirloom furniture. We salvaged old buildings and reclaimed the timbers and boards for our unique creations.” describes McClellan. 

By 2007, the company had grown, generating over a million in revenue and placing product in 42 states and 6 foreign countries.

Daughter, Riley, was born in 1997.
Tim met his future wife, Erika Roberts, at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2010. Burnt out on the grind of running a manufacturing business, he took a break and headed to Durango, Colorado in 2011 to live with Erika, fish, design, build, snowboard, ride horses, and refill his tank. McClellan returned to Jerome in 2014 on a commission to build a custom 1940 Ford truck.  
In the midst of the grease and fabrication, Tim was contacted by Ellen Degeneres who asked him to compete on her new show on HGTV. Tim was reluctant. But, daughter Riley insisted, “Dad, it’s Ellen Degeneres!” Tim traveled to LA in August of 2014 to compete on Ellen’s Furniture Design Challenge, which aired in the spring of 2015. Tim was the fan favorite and contested winner.
Tim left Western Heritage Furniture in 2016 to further develop Tim McClellan Designs with his wife, Erika. McClellan and Roberts wed in the spring of 2017.    
2017 was a breakout year, as Tim debuted 11 new lines of furniture and filmed a pilot, Boomtown Builder, for the DIY network. McClellan is hosting the first season of Boomtown Builder for 2018.
Currently, Tim is living his vision: Designing, fabricating and constructing modern masterpieces from yesteryear’s discarded materials, sharing the unique story of each project, and inspiring others to do the same.

Contact

Jerome, AZ
Durango, CO
tim@timmcclellandesigns.com

erika@timmcclellandesigns.com

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