Meet the Maker – Behind the Scenes with Lenny and the Art of Finish Work

At Movable Roots, every home tells a story—and behind every story is a maker who shapes it, one finish at a time. Go behind the scenes with Lenny, a key member of our build team whose craftsmanship turns raw materials into beautiful living spaces.

Lenny joined the Movable Roots crew almost a year ago, bringing with him a self-taught passion for woodworking and detail work. His specialty? Finish Work—or as he puts it, the “beautification” phase of the build. From hand-trimmed windows to custom tables, it’s the part of the process where form meets function and a house begins to feel like a home.

Lenny’s favorite project to date is the custom whiskey barrel table he built for Intracoastal Brewing Company—a perfect blend of rustic charm and fine craftsmanship. But his most challenging? The Alameda Gooseneck, his very first project with us. He dove in headfirst, problem-solved in real time, and found his rhythm through each step.

His days in the shop are full of motion—cutting, sanding, staining. But for Lenny, it’s more than just repetition. He calls it gratifying, satisfying, and challenging in the best way. One of his biggest accomplishments has been fine-tuning our staining machine for maximum efficiency, ensuring that every piece comes out just right.

What drives him? The material itself. “I love working with raw wood,” he says. “Creating something from scratch—it never gets old.”

Lenny’s favorite part of building tiny homes is the challenge of making every essential element fit into a small space without sacrificing beauty. That kind of puzzle-solving requires more than skill—it requires care, foresight, and craftsmanship. His go-to soundtrack while working? Paolo Nutini’s “Iron Sky.” His favorite tool? The table saw. And don’t forget the shop essential—a handful of red grapes to keep the day going.

Ask Lenny what makes a Movable Roots home different, and he won’t hesitate: “They’re built better than a typical residential home. You can feel the difference.”

We couldn’t agree more.