Meet the Team


Ian Agrell holds a Corinthian capital hand-carved by Agrell Architectural Carving.

Ian Agrell holds a Corinthian capital hand-carved by Agrell Architectural Carving.

Founder Ian Agrell began modeling in clay as a child at the encouragement of his parents. This love of working in three dimensions led him to first study woodcarving in 1961. Twenty years later, Ian (email) was elected to the Master Carvers Association. Founded in the late 19th century, the Master Carvers Association is the oldest and most prestigious society of wood- and stone carvers in the United Kingdom. The title of Master Carver is presented only to those who demonstrate exceptional quality of work and professional execution. Standards are high; presently the association has 40 around members. Ian moved to the United States in 1986 and operates the San Francisco office.

As the principal at Agrell Architectural Carving, Ian directs all projects, bringing passion and design sensibility to every undertaking. Together with his team of highly trained woodcarvers, Ian has created a world-renowned workshop with a reputation for unequalled craftsmanship.

Ian works passionately to maintain the tradition of classical woodcarving. To help ensure these unique skills are never lost, he teaches several woodcarving classes throughout the year at The School of Classical Woodcarving, which he founded 30 years ago. Ian also launched Ornapedia.org, a free-to-use library of images from the decorative arts industries.

Kate Agrell-Doldan

Kate Agrell, Project Manager

Ian’s daughter Kate Agrell is the Project Manager for all terrotories and handles the day-to-day needs of your project, including the bid process, design, production, and delivery. When you ask for a quote or an update, Ian (email) or Kate (email) will quickly respond and make sure everything is in the right place at the right time.