Few things are more primally satisfying than working with your hands. Today, few of us build from the ground up but you can still find skilled artisans who will design, refine and create beautiful things. In Olympia, Red Fox Custom Carpentry tackles a variety of needs around the house, both indoors and out. They’ll work with you from start to finish using the kind of craftsmanship that comes from years of experience.
A Push from the Universe Inspired Red Fox Custom Carpentry
Red Fox Custom Carpentry is truly a family business. Its co-owners are general contractor Sean O’Leary and Maegen McAuliffe O’Leary, Sean’s wife and business manager of Red Fox. Maegen explains that they’d talked about owning a business together since their early days of dating.
By 2022, they had two children under the age of three, full time jobs and a hectic calendar to juggle. “Sometimes you need the universe to give you a push to take the leap,” says Maegen, “especially facing all the challenges working parents confront: childcare logistics, sleep deprivation, inflexible work schedules. We had to try something different. Sean has been in construction in Thurston County for over 20 years. It was time to do it for ourselves, for our family’s quality of life.”
Sean has more than 20 years of construction experience as a lead carpenter, finish carpenter, foreman and project manager. He is an expert worker who excels at woodcrafting and fine details. Maegen grew up on construction sites with her father’s business. She is now a published author and founder of her own communications company. They’re teaching their kids both carpentry and small business management to pass vital skills on to a new generation.
Custom Carpentry in Thurston County Meets Customer’s Needs with Bespoke Elegance
Sean explains that their jobs are entirely customer-driven and geared towards the realities of life in the Pacific Northwest. “Our clients’ needs are quite varied,” he explains. “In the last year alone, we’ve built an ADU and a backyard artist studio, replaced the deck on a historical home, worked on a log cabin, and remodeled a kitchen alongside a bunch of other smaller home upgrade projects. We also do cabinetry installations and provide finish carpentry services for other contractors.”
Maegen describes Sean as a true craftsman. “He can do just about anything,” she says. “He loves traditional woodworking and craftsman style homes, but he also favors modern, durable material choices that weather our Pacific Northwest climate, like Ipe decking and stainless-steel cable railings. We can make by hand something a machine cannot create. Custom carpentry is both an art and a trade. It’s a beautiful marriage of technical expertise and creative vision. It’s practical, necessary, timeless and constantly evolving all at the same time.”
It Takes a Supportive Community to Help Family Businesses Succeed
With so many years in the industry, Maegen and Sean understand the importance of also building connection. They work hard to support both fellow small businesses and working families. “We wouldn’t survive without community,” says Maegen. “All our subcontractors are local small businesses and many of our clients are small business owners themselves. We’re members of the Olympia Master Builders, and we’ve taken advantage of great resources and training through Thurston EDC and Washington Center for Women in Business.”
They’ve also learned to adapt for today’s changing marketplace. Because they’re a general contractor, they can handle it all: remodels, new construction, cabinetry installation, decks, trim work, big jobs and even the smaller jobs large firms don’t bother with.
“We’re proud of what we do and what we produce,” says Maegen. “And we’re grateful to our clients, whose word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business keep us going. We hope 2025 introduces us to new customers in the community who might be hearing about Red Fox Custom Carpentry for the first time.”
If you’re looking for repairs, expansion or that little something extra, reach out to Red Fox today. You can call 253.330.6206, email redfoxcustomcarpentry@gmail.com or get a quote online. They work across Thurston, Mason, Pierce and Lewis counties and are always happy to chat about your project. Enjoy photos of their work on Facebook, Instagram and their online gallery.
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