Last Call

Last Call with Eric Swedberg of Artistic Soapstone Incorporated

Sarah Connell Sanders

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Eric Swedberg is a beloved local public school teacher and baseball coach with a passion for soapstone. Swedberg began creating handmade artisan sinks and countertops over a decade ago as a hobby. Today, his business, Artistic Soapstone Incorporated, keeps him in high demand.

How did you first get into stonework?

We bought a house on May Street and it had a soapstone sink in the basement. It was ready to rip the plumbing out of the wall because the wooden base was rotted. So, I had to take the sink off the wall and get it up the stairs. This was 18 years ago and I remember just staring at it for a while. Then, my wife said, “Hey, Martha Stewart just put soapstone counters in one of her houses.” And I said, “That’s cool; I think that old sink from the cellar is soapstone.” I researched it and cut it up to make our first kitchen counter out of soapstone. Two years passed and we had babies and stuff. We had bottles everywhere and my wife says, “Hey, you know, it’d be great to have an island with a dishwasher in the middle of the kitchen.” So I said, “Great, let me try to make a soapstone top for it.” I go on Craigslist that night. At the time, people were giving them away. People don’t give them away anymore. Next thing you know, we have six soapstone sinks in my driveway. I made the island and then I started to restore them, just hand sanding them down. I’ve learned a lot since then, but I sold a couple on Craigslist, and soon I had people calling me to ask, “Can you make one for me?” From there, I did a few little pieces of countertop. Next thing you know, I’m buying full slabs and doing a full kitchen install. Probably about five years ago, I got to the point where I said, “The liability is becoming a little too much.” I needed to incorporate, so I could have insurance to cover all our personal assets and turn it into a real niche type of boutique business.

Are you still teaching?

Oh yeah. Initially, I booked a lot of kitchen stuff during the summer. Now, it’s expanded to year-round. A lot of teachers have second jobs.

What resources did you use to teach yourself how to work with soapstone and marble?

A lot of trial and error. I don’t know anyone else who actually grades basins by hand. In other words, any other place that you get a sink from, it’s made with a machine. I’ve sort of just worked on that skill over the last 12 years or so. I have a fabrication crew and an install crew. They’re really, really knowledgeable about stone. I ask them questions, but for the most part, I learned to do things my own way. It’s funny because when you learn things your own way, you realize things that guys in the business don’t know either. Especially with soapstone, I’ve developed all kinds of tricks to ensure that fissures aren’t going to break on me. I’ve figured out how to fix veins.

What kind of tools do you work with?

I cut with an 18-pound worm-drive wet saw, which is meant to cut rafters. It is used for stonework onsite. And then, I use a variety of grinders and blades. I use a lot of diamond pads for polishing and sandpaper.

Why would someone choose to work with you over a large contractor?

I am the only person in my office. When you call to book a kitchen with me, you’re actually dealing with me. There’s a very personal aspect to creating a custom space. I think other places are looking to push out two or three kitchens a day. I’m looking to do maybe one or two a month with people that really care about the process.

Do you have a vision for the future of your business?

I can always take more business on. I never use the B-word, which is “busy.” I certainly could do a lot more. I think I like where I am right now. I mean, maybe in the future, it’d be nice to open up a shop of my own with a showroom. But, with three kids and teaching, I want to make sure I can service my customers well without pulling my hair out. Right now, what I do is not work. I started to do this because it was a stress relief. It got me in the zone and put me in a flow state like any artist. It’s just nice to have an outlet and it’s a bonus to make a couple of bucks in the process.

Eric Swedberg, owner of Artistic Soapstone Inc., holds a soapstone sink outside his Auburn home where he fabricates a variety of custom natural stone pieces. PHOTO BY DYLAN AZARI