He is a hobby carpenter and self-taught – but neither of these terms, as accurate as they are, adequately describes Fabian Winter. In his basement, the 39-year-old produces furniture with a level of craftsmanship that is astonishing. One of his works is the “Antiprisma Tower”, a drawer cabinet that reflects both the dedication of its builder and his perfectionism. And that is our cue: Painting was carried out with a SATAjet 1000 B RP 1.6.
The body of the Antiprisma Tower consists exclusively of triangular elements. The drawers fit perfectly into the sloping surfaces; it is a piece of furniture looks like a sculpture. On Fabian’s Instagram channel fab_in_the_basement, you can get an impression of the creation process – and how much patience and time went into the project. The Antiprisma Tower was based on a masterpiece that was featured in a trade magazine. The surface finish is integral to its fascinating effect: The Nextel paint with its velvety finish creates an attractive contrast to the straight edges and almost crystalline surfaces. It was applied using a SATAjet 1000 B RP 1.6, which Fabian bought especially for this project.

Fabian’s basement is also excellently equipped – with tools and machines that could just as easily be found in a master carpenter’s workshop. “Since covid-19, the hobby has escalated somewhat in my own workshop,” he says with a grin.

As a child, Fabian was inspired by his father, a trained decorator and teacher who also pursued carpentry as a hobby. He built his first wardrobe at the age of 16 and repeatedly visited the workshops of carpenters he knew to work on his projects by the hour. Obvious talent, skill, passion – what could have been more obvious than practising carpentry professionally? Fabian is actually considering the idea – but the experiences of a good friend make him hesitate. “He learned his trade in a carpentry workshop that worked exclusively with panel material. They also built coffins and installed windows. At the time, I probably thought that all companies were like that,” he says looking back. Today, Fabian Winter is an IT consultant. He enjoys doing only the things in his workshop that are really fun for him. This also includes gaining experience. “I have learned a lot through social media and personal exchanges with professionals. But I’m self-taught in all areas and I’m not afraid of doing anything wrong. If I do, I’ll just do it again,” he laughs. When the weather is bad, the hobby carpenter spends 15 to 20 hours a week in his basement, including weekends. But there are also weeks when he doesn’t make it into the basement at all.

Perhaps that is the secret of Fabian’s impressive work: There is no one forcing him, he doesn’t have any cost pressure and there are no deadlines. Fabian mostly works on his own projects – he has now built all the furniture and the kitchen in his house himself. He gets his inspiration from social media and occasionally helps friends and acquaintances. In short: He has retained the joy of his craft. “Starting with a plank and ending up with a finished piece of furniture makes me very happy,” he says of himself.