Although it has been over a year since DIY Network canceled the Jeff Devlin reality series Stone House Revival, the proprietor of SchoolHouse Woodworking in Exton hasn’t been sitting around gathering (saw)dust. Lisa Arnett reported on Devlin’s career renovation for HGTV.

Stone House Revival was a fix-it show that concentrated on centuries-old homes. The work was difficult and often intricate, but the result was an eye-appealing mashup of historic depth and modern chic.

Episodes often focused on Devlin’s custom carpentry skills. He once hand-crafted a Colonial-era bar and stools. “I’ve been wanting to do that for years,” he said. “I pushed myself a little, to the point where I almost caused exhaustion.”

Devlin’s interest in woodworking began young, building birdhouses. PBS reruns of This Old House fueled his desire to scale up.

But an appreciation of architectural history took time.

“I’d go to Colonial Williamsburg as a kid, and I’d see people in ascots and think, ‘What a bunch of weirdos,'” Devlin said.

It was the physical contact with the wood, in which he connected with a structure’s past, that opened his eyes to the value in creating legacies.

More on Jeff Devlin is at HGTV.

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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in April 2022.