Crafting Legacy Furniture for a San Juan Islands Family Retreat

Redwood and Tanbark Oak Display Cabinet

It’s a special pleasure to have a returning client who values craftsmanship and has a vision for each unique piece. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of creating custom furniture for one such client—a Northern Californian with a retreat in the San Juan Islands. This beautiful, secluded home by the water is a place of peace and connection to nature, and each project has focused on bringing elements of the landscape indoors, blending the surroundings with pieces that are as enduring as they are personal.

Redwood Dining Table

For this retreat, I crafted multiple standout pieces: a dining table, a display cabinet and a smaller table for the breakfast nook, all designed to honor the natural world and the client’s own history. The dining table is inspired by the work of George Nakashima, who is known for celebrating the raw beauty and individual character of each wood slab. This table began as a single redwood slab, a blowdown from Northern California, originally 16 feet long and 4 feet wide. It was a gift from nature, marked with knots, unique grain, and a sense of timelessness. In designing the table, I retained as much of the slab’s natural edge as possible, allowing its organic shape to become the centerpiece of the room.

Nakashima Inspired Redwood Dining Table

The second piece, a display cabinet, serves a deeply personal purpose. The client, a marine biologist, has spent a lifetime exploring the ocean and collecting treasures that reflect that journey. I crafted this cabinet from Redwood and Tanbark oak, a species that grows in the understory of mature redwood forests. Its lighter color complements the redwood and provides a perfect frame for these ocean relics, creating a gallery-like display for shells, coral, and other artifacts gathered from coastlines near and far. The cabinet complements the dining table, both visually and symbolically, uniting elements of California's coastal forests and the client’s connection to the sea.

Work in Progress

Flattening 46” Redwood Slab

This project has been a testament to the beauty of materials when thoughtfully chosen and the stories they hold. By weaving together the elegance of these woods and the rich memories of a life spent exploring the world, I’ve created pieces that transcend function, becoming part of a family legacy. Each time my client visits this island retreat, I hope these pieces serve as a reminder of both the land they love and the stories they carry with them.