From the beginning, my wife and I have always been dreamers. Dreaming of a better life. Not just for us and our family, but for humanity as a whole. From this sparked an idea. It was small and far off. A coffee and tea shop where people can come and enjoy the best humanity has to offer: creativity, community, warmth, and peace.

We would call it the "Tineke Tea House"

Fast forward a number of years and you know the drill: life happens. Kids come along, jobs come and go, life opportunities burst forth then fade into the distance... However, Tineke always stayed constant in the back of our minds. When coming across life experiences or emotions that enriched our lives, we took to calling those things "Tineke".

Eventually, our daughter one day asked us, "You keep calling these things 'Tineke'. What does that mean?"

We struggled to find an answer to this until one day we realized that it wasn't a thing or a feeling or a place: It's a way of life.

Through life experiences, triumphs and heartaches, struggles and celebrations, Tineke evolved to represent a lifestyle focused specifically around a number of core values that we believe exemplify when humanity is at its best:

  • Community
  • Inclusivity
  • Sustainability
  • Self-sufficiency
  • Humility
  • Generosity
  • Simplicity
  • Knowledge

We believe that existing as a human being in this world transcends any man-made thing. Humanity is at its best when we maintain our roots and flourish through our relationships with each other and the earth we coexist with!

Our Process

Learn what makes Tineke wood products so unique!

The Timberworks branch of Tineke strives to align our passion for woodworking with the overarching goal of bringing humanity to the surface of all we do.

To achieve this, there are a handful of philosophies that we live by in our shop that we hope transfer into generating truly unique designs outlined below

1. If you can(d), do it by hand!

Okay, that's bad I know, but I had to make it rhyme somehow!

All tools in our shop are either hand powered (chisels, planes, files, etc.) or electric powered but hand guided (router, band saw, sanders, etc.). While automated power tools can generate large results quickly, we at Tineke believe that the art of crafting something by hand imbues the project with the heart and soul of the person working it.

The process of hand-working wood allows the project to shine with the character and uniqueness that only the human touch can provide.

2. Stay Community Driven

Humans are at their best when they are working together. In a time where the speed of technology drives us geographically further apart, we are sacrificing the connections we have to the person next door. Tineke puts heavy emphasis on fostering local connections and bringing the scale of relationships back to home.

We do our best to source everything in our shop from within a 100 mile radius of our home in Bellevue, NE. Spending money locally in your community means that money stays in your community. It supports your local shop owner, it funds your local school systems and the roads you drive on through local taxes, and most importantly, it fosters face-to-face connections with the people you share space with!

All hardwood projects we craft are made from wood sourced from Big Red Sawmill in Palmyra, NE. This allows us to support a small, family-owned business, focusing on locally-sourced timber from sustainable practices.

3. Good Things Come in Small Packages

To maintain our goal of having each product be hand-crafted, we believe in small batch production. Each and every product we make is designed in-house and crafted out of wood that is hand selected for that specific project.

Because of this, most products we craft are unique, one-of-a-kind items that are sold in limited run quantities. It's likely that if an item sells out, there may not be any more of them in the future, so grab them while you can!

David Wartman

Owner, Craftsman

Raised in a small town in the mountains of Colorado, David grew to appreciate the outdoors and all the beauty the earth has to offer. He wears many hats - husband, father, IT professional, and Army Veteran.

In his free time, David can be found in the workshop (obviously!), in the garden, rock climbing, driving in his sim racing league, or just spending time outside.

Fun Fact! He has briefly stood on the North side of the Korean border!

Alexxa Wartman

Visionary, Craftsman

Bio Here

Tobias (aka Toby)

Shop Pup, Old Man

A heeler mix colloquially dubbed our "adventure pup", Toby has been with us on some of our biggest treks and adventures!

Now that his younger years have gone, he serves as our "old man", lounging around in the shop and curling up next to cozy campfires in the fall.

Fun fact! Toby goes by many nicknames to include Tobers, Tobytin, Toby Tobes, Toasty Toby... Everybody loves Toby!

Gracie (aka Doof)

Shop Pup, Emotional Support

Gracie is the biggest sweetheart you will ever meet! Lumbering as a Great Pyrenees mix, she serves as our daughter's service animal and the shop emotional support advocate.

What she lacks in agility and awareness she makes up for in love and comfort, earning her the beloved nickname of Doof. You can find her lounging on the couch, chasing balls across the floor, or chewing on bones.

Fun Fact! In our family, "Doof" is not only an adjective but also a verb to describe any activity that involves wandering aimlessly with no intent.

i.e "Whatcha doing?" "Oh, ya know, just doofin' around..."