I decided to go on my own in 1987, having been a carpenter for about 3 years in Maine and Santa Cruz. I placed an ad in the local anti-nuclear monthly paper, and got a call from a man in nearby Aptos. He had about four thousand books in boxes, and wanted to create a library in an extra room downstairs.
The client, Roy K., had the idea to put the nosing on the shelves with a raised edge, in hopes of keeping the books in place in the event of an earthquake. I got a letter from him soon after the Loma Prieta Quake in 1989, letting me know that while his neighbor's books all ended up on the floor, his library was unaffected!
Also in 1987, I built this fence/arbor around the corner from where I lived in the Seabright neighborhood. I saw it recently, it's holding up well except for a sagging gate. Very gray and covered with wisteria.
A few years ago, I recognized the client at Peet's in Menlo Park. She told me that after I finished the fence project it had been red-tagged by the city for being too tall. Before ordering it removed, though, the judge presiding over the case drove by to see it, found it "such a lovely fence" that it was allowed to stand.
A cedar and copper front gate for a house in Portland.
I think this was my first table. Made for a great client in Portland that I made 3 more tables for over a few years time. The first photo in this post shows the same piece, with the interlocking center boards on the top, my favorite detail and one of the few things I wouldn't change, in retrospect.
Padouk Desk for an attorney. This wood is very reactive to UV light, and this bright orange faded to a rich dark caramel brown over the course of a year.
Another cherry table, this one a dining table to seat up to 8.
Detail of the apron/leg. Don't remember why I put that screw in it.
Mahogany side table.
I'm hoping to get up to Portland later this year and get pictures of other furniture, as well as some additions, porches, remodels, etc., that never got photographed back when they were made.
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