A Craftsman’s Calling

Snapshot of Vivid Millwork

By Sarah Kittle

Vivid Millwork is more than just a cabinetry shop—it’s a vision where form meets function, and beauty emerges from raw materials. Fareed Yousif, an Iraqi Chaldean Christian who immigrated to the U.S. as a young man, carries with him not only the memories of a war-torn homeland but also the deep-rooted faith of his ancestors.

Growing up in Baghdad, Yousif’s life was shaped by both the teachings of the Church and the rich tradition of craftsmanship passed down through his family. Summers in the small village of Karamles in northern Iraq exposed him to different forms of architecture. “I’ve always had a vision, to see how things come together, how they are built,” said Yousif. “When I went to Babylon, I was amazed.”

Yousif’s uncle Samir, a renowned woodworker in Iraq, passed on his craft to his nephew, who would eventually become a skilled artisan in his own right. Though Fareed was only a toddler when Samir left for America, he never lost his connection to the woodworking tradition.

Yousif grew up as the son of a government worker, living in Iraq until he was 14. That’s when his family fled the Gulf War. After spending a year and a half in Austria, they immigrated to the U.S. Fareed immediately started high school, facing the challenge of learning English. “I was young,” he recalls. “I was able to learn quickly.”

After graduating from Troy High School, Yousif pursued studies in architecture. “We had a lot to learn, but we made it,” he recalls. However, in his second year of college, tragedy struck when his father passed away. Yousif left school to care for his mother and sisters, and soon returned to woodworking.

A Craftsman’s Journey

Yousif worked for his uncle from a young age, learning the trade well enough to run the shop on his own by age 18. “I had a lot of challenges because people didn’t like taking orders from an 18-year-old,” he says. “But I owned my spot.”

He takes great pride in his work, blending modern techniques such as efficiency and technology with traditional craftsmanship and quality. In the quiet of his workshop, Yousif often reflects on the life of Jesus, a carpenter by trade, who worked with his hands to build and repair. He sees a direct parallel between Christ’s work and his own. “Just as Jesus shaped and restored lives through His teachings,” he says, “I believe I can create something beautiful and meaningful from raw materials.”

A man of deep faith, Yousif places his life in God’s hands. “There’s nothing that I’ve asked for that I haven’t gotten,” he says. “But I’ve never asked for anything material.” Fareed doesn’t require much—just a family, a way to make a living, and a home.

He even dreamt of his son before he was born, before he married his wife. “I swear, he came just like I visualized,” said Fareed.

Throughout his life, Yousif has trusted the Lord to guide his path. When he struggled to find work and was his uncle’s only employee, he learned how to design and estimate. “The beautiful thing about my uncle’s operation was that it was all hands-on. It wasn’t really advanced,” Yousif recalls.

Building a Future

Yousif had the advantage of learning both the ‘old school’ and ‘new school’ methods. At a young age, he could craft almost anything from wood, as well as design it electronically.

In 2008, during the recession, Yousif applied for unemployment. He and his wife had just bought a house and were in danger of losing it. “I’m not shy to say it,” he says. “We had to sell our jewelry, our furniture, just to buy food.”

By the end of 2009, his uncle had to let Yousif go. Never having filled out an employment application or sat through a job interview, Fareed was lost.

“I was clueless,” he says. “I looked at my wife and kid, got in my car, and started driving.” Not paying attention to where he was going, Yousif passed by a building with a “For Lease” sign. He stopped and called the number.

With no customers, no equipment, and no money, Yousif still committed to leasing the space. The owner agreed to wait two weeks for the first payment. Fareed wasn’t sure what the future held, but he trusted that God would provide a way forward.

The next day, he received a call from a different cabinet shop, offering him work. “How did you find out?” Yousif asked. The caller replied, “I don’t know. Someone told me to give you a call.”

The job offered $27 an hour—almost double what Fareed had been making at his uncle’s shop. He was glad he hadn’t filled out the salary section of the application. “I was going to put $10 an hour,” he says.

Yousif was upfront with his new employer, telling him he planned to start his own business. The boss was supportive but asked him to take business calls privately, so the other employees wouldn’t know. Less than a month later, Yousif’s pay was raised to $30 an hour. He stayed with the company for two years while also building his own operation.

He also feels immense gratitude toward the hospital in Chicago that gave him his first major project—a main lobby for a hospital. Those photos are still featured on Vivid Millwork’s website. At the time, Yousif charged the woodworking equipment to his wife’s credit card. He also invested $60,000 in design software.

“The unique thing I can provide is design, fabrication, and management all in one,” Yousif says. “It helps with communication and allows me to maintain control over the timeline.”

Looking to the Future

Yousif’s craftsmanship comes at a premium, but he believes customers with high expectations are willing to pay for quality. He hopes to attract more Chaldean clients and become the go-to cabinet maker in the community.

He is concerned about clients who opt for cheap cabinets, then top them with expensive granite or stone. “Within two or three years, those cabinets will fall apart and your $20,000 counter will crack,” he says. Fareed offers quicker replacements and more attention to detail by cutting out the middleman. He also plans to expand into finished framing.

His son is now involved in the business through Opal, a general contracting company. Together, Vivid Millwork and Opal will become a “one-stop shop” for everything from construction to finishing.

Fareed’s dream is to establish a steady stream of clients, particularly within the Chaldean community, and to do more for others. “I give, and I want to give more,” Yousif says. “I want to do more.”