Tree to Table … to Sauna: How a local company is taking another leap forward

Vilppu Anttila and Ryan Murphy hated their jobs eight years ago. 

Anttila worked in cybersecurity, and Murphy worked as a nurse. They met at church in 2017 and invited each other’s families over for weekly dinners. Over time, they realized they shared a passion for community gatherings, especially around a table. 

“If you want to see a friend, you schedule out a month or two in advance,” Murphy said. “We’re trying to get away from that and trying to have a slower pace of life that made time for people.”

In their free time, Anttila and Murphy learned woodworking. Neither had much experience beforehand, but they eventually learned the full process behind turning a tree into a table.

Eventually, they quit their jobs to start their own business, Tree to Table. The duo took the plunge and began accepting custom orders for tables, benches, shelves and more. 

Four years later, they are ready to take another leap: building saunas. 

“The saunas really fit well with our mission,” Anttila said. “We’re passionate about gathering, we’re passionate about community, but we’re also passionate about wellness … Saunas have a really special role in that.”

Anttila grew up in Finland before studying engineering at Miami University. Saunas occupy a large role in Finnish culture, and with Tree to Table extending its catalog, Anttila is able to reconnect with his childhood and bring his home culture to the United States. 

Murphy, who grew up in Cincinnati, moved to Oxford with his family in 2018 on a whim. Despite studying nursing at the University of Cincinnati, he started taking more time off and needed something to fill the void. 

“I liked making things,” Murphy said. “My wife is a crafty Pinterest person, so [I made] little things around the house and discovered that I kind of like making things. That snowballed into [this].”

Anttila and Murphy further developed their skills after apprenticing under Virgil Otto, a woodsmith with over 60 years of experience. Otto taught the pair how to create long-lasting furniture from old trees that differ from other mass-produced products. 

With their knowledge, Anttila and Murphy quit their jobs and founded Tree to Table in 2021.

Candy and Lance Miller first heard of Tree to Table during the Covid-19 pandemic. The couple was looking for a custom-made table to play dominoes. Above all else, they wanted a table made from real wood, unlike many mass-produced ones.

“It’s real wood,” Lance said. “Even wood that looks like real wood is typically laminate, where it’s not solid all the way through … I know where [this wood] was sourced from. I love the fact that you can have a tree on your property, have it cut down, and they can not only mill it down for you, but they’ll kiln dry it [so] that it’ll stay in place after it’s assembled. It really is a tree to table thing.”

The Millers returned to the company many times over the years for tables and a mantel piece. The quality of their products made them happy, but it’s the customer service and hands-on approach that keeps them coming back. 

Lindsey McGee, who bought a custom chess table from them, shared a similar sentiment. The frequent communication with Anttila and Murphy, as well as the customization options, proved to be a standout feature with Tree to Table. 

“The biggest difference between purchasing something already produced and working [with] Tree to Table is the ability to customize and get something totally unique,” McGee said. “[It’s] something that’s going to last for a long time.”

Anttila and Murphy emphasized the community aspect as an important part of their company and something that they’ve strived for for several years. They also emphasized how vital sustainability is to their operations. 

Tree to Table uses trees that were already cut down or needed to be cut down. Customers also ask to repurpose trees from their land. For McGee, this aspect of the company is admirable. 

“As a biologist, I really enjoy the mission of Tree to Table: to use trees that were already cut down or that had fallen down and repurpose them into furniture,” McGee said. “That conservation aspect was really appealing to us, and then just their work that we had seen in the little pieces that we had gotten. They just do beautiful work.”

Throughout the years, Anttila and Murphy have sold more than 200 custom tables in the local community. Recently, they took their business one step further with their Finnish saunas. 

Despite the learning curve with building saunas compared to tables, Anttila and Murphy tackle this new operation the same way they’ve run Tree to Table. Their main goal is to provide an authentic sauna experience and a product that will last for years. 

“People are excited about it, but they don’t know a lot about saunas,” Anttila said. “It’s special for me to be able to share from a lifetime of experience [and] making a sauna a space that’s fun and enjoyable. There’s so many bad tables out there, but there’s also a lot of bad saunas, saunas that people aren’t going to enjoy for a long time.”

Anttila and Murphy said that they are blessed with their business opportunities, but they try not to act like salesmen. Their customers, whom they see more as neighbors, are important to them, and they work to provide quality tables that will last a lifetime. 

“People are willing to spend money on things that are important to them,” Anttila said. “If you buy a veneer table, the moment your kid puts a fork through it, it’s ruined. But if you buy a real wood table, it’s never gonna break. It’s gonna last for generations.”