About

A millwork shop that
builds by the book.

Alan Davis of Davis Finish & Millwork in Canton, Georgia
Alan Davis · Canton, GA
The Shop

The carpenter behind the shop.

Davis Finish & Millwork is led by Alan Davis. Alan grew up in Canton, with family roots in this part of Georgia going back generations, so the homes the shop works in are close to home.

He learned the trade the old way, on the job. After a general residential carpentry apprenticeship, he spent years apprenticed to master finish carpenter Kreg McMahon, whose work was featured on This Old House and in Better Homes & Gardens. Alan worked at his side until he passed and has carried his standards forward ever since.

That training covered not just how to cut a joint, but why a room is built the way it is. It is the standard behind every project that leaves the shop.

How the Work Is Done

The goal on every job is work that looks like it was always part of the house.

That starts with layout. Each wall is measured and laid out so the panels, casings, and crown fit the room and each other, following the classical rules of proportion. Nothing is sized by eye or by what happened to be on the truck.

Mouldings are sourced or milled to suit the age and style of the house. If a profile is no longer made, a custom knife is ground to reproduce it. Wherever the work allows, it is milled and assembled in the Canton shop, so it arrives ready to fit.

What to Expect

Working with the shop.

01

Built by the book

Every room is laid out to the classical rules of proportion before anything is cut. Nothing is sized by eye.

02

Period-correct millwork

Profiles are sourced or milled to suit the age of the house. If it can be drawn, it can be made.

03

Built in the shop

Milled and assembled in the Canton shop, then fitted to the house. Less dust, less noise, and fewer days of work inside the home.

04

A real finish

Paint and finish are held to the same standard as the joinery, from the caulk lines to the final coat.

The Signature

Signed where only
you will find it.

Every built-in that leaves the shop includes a hidden compartment, signed with the date and a card. It is an old tradition. Furniture makers have signed their work in hidden places for centuries, on the back of a piece or the bottom of a drawer, where it may not be found for years. Some clients keep documents or a spare key in it. Either way, it is a reminder that Alan stands behind what he builds, literally.

Serving North Atlanta

Build something worth keeping.

Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek, Buckhead, Canton, and the communities nearby.

Request a Consultation