About SMW Designs

Hi there, I’m Keith Wetmore, the founder of SMW Designs, a local custom woodshop in Billings, Montana.

I wasn’t always a woodworker. While I have always had a passion for working with my hands and building things, I spent most of my life as a delivery driver. When I wasn’t working though, I spent my time building anything I could think of around the house. Whether it was a quaint shed built in the backyard, a simple awning to provide shade on those sunny days, or even a pole barn; my weekends were always busy with planning and construction, only to repeat it once more as the last project had been completed.

I never thought about woodworking as my full-time occupation until I built my own kitchen cabinets. That project was the first time that I really started to love finish work. In my mind, it finally fit that I really did have a passion for all aspects of woodworking and that I could do this full-time.

My first challenge was building 14 restaurant tables. This was my first big order, and the customer cornered me from the beginning and asked for a price. We agreed on a price of $110 per table, which I thought would be easy money, but looking back he was the one that got the great deal. I had never built a table before and thought the project would be a piece of cake and that the woodshop was off to a great start. We didn’t even have a design picked out yet, but I was so excited that I found some videos on YouTube and got to work.

SMW Designs has come a long way since that first big project. SMW actually stands for “Sonny and Melissa Wetmore,” my wife and I. While most people in the business world know me as Keith, Sonny is the nickname that my friends and family have always called me. It was important that I included my wife Melissa in this business, because I couldn’t do it without her. Melissa has always supported me and my dream of opening my own woodworking shop, and SMW Designs just wouldn’t be possible without her.

I love every aspect of woodworking, and I bring that passion and enthusiasm with me for every project. I’ve also got a passion for our local Billings community, and I help out where I can, such as making repairs at the Burlington Ball Park.

If you have a custom woodworking project in mind, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I would love to talk to you and give you a free estimate on the project. Please also feel free to browse through my website and take a look at past projects I’ve done and some retail goods I have for sale such as custom Montana cribbage boards and cutting boards.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (406) 698-7246 or shoot me an email at contact@smwdesigns.net.