Herminio Mora spends all day with wood. At work, with his business, H.A.Mora Inc. a full-service exterior and interior painting, roofing, and renovation company. And, at play, in his shop, woodworking and creating beautiful bread boards, tables and decorative accent pieces for the home. When he launched his business, workdays were perfecting framing, designing and executing trim work and painting. Working with wood is in his DNA. "When I first started in construction, I noticed there were more efficient ways to do framing as well as trimming and I would improvise then create some figures with the scraps," says Herminio.
CL: What kind of woodworking projects did you complete in 2021 and what new kind of projects are you looking forward to in 2022?
HM: I have always focused on the high-end market which demands custom handmade wood kitchen and bathroom cabinets. However, entering 2021 after the pandemic, the demand for these skyrocketed, especially due to the shortage in wood and labor supply and I noticed I could also focus on complementary items such as tables and cutting boards so we can offer a wide range of products to our customers and be consistent with their design. We will continue to focus on this in 2022 and hopefully a small pre-ordered tables and cutting boards shop.
CL: What brought you to the north Atlanta area and why do you like the area for your business?
HM: I actually have been in Atlanta since 1996, I decided to come right after the Olympics because of the high demand in the construction industry. Word of mouth about my work spread out and as the city grew to north Atlanta so did my business. I like the area because you have a combination of houses built in the 60's all the way through the 2020s. This gives you the ability to work with different styles, use different techniques and be creative to adapt to every situation. Also, the fact that houses are surrounded by nature gives it a special touch!
CL: Tell us about theses projects.
HM: I used hickory oak for the bar as well as for the lattice behind the piano because it is more malleable and white oak for the table. We use several tools but the key is the sanding! We are old school and pay attention to details so we have the best outcome. It is a very slow process but gives you the best finishes. The epoxy used for the orange inlay table is very unique!
CL: What trends are you excited about for your industry? Is painting brick still a popular solution?
HM: The upcoming years will be very interesting because of supply chain issues and material availability. I am very excited to see what can be done with less and get out of the pre-made ordinary stuff and homeowners and designers actually doing more with local providers.
I always tell my clients painted brick looks good but you need to apply the right primer and make sure it is pressure washed every 8 months or so. When it comes to interior painted bricks, it always depends on the house style.
