A portfolio of boards, home goods and live edge furniture made in a small San Diego workshop. Every piece was built by hand from solid hardwood: walnut, maple, cherry, padauk, purpleheart, olive and more.
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Maple and cherry end-grain blocks are cut and arranged so the surface reads as a field of tumbling cubes. It's a demanding pattern to glue up, and it's the piece people stop to look at.
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A classic end-grain checkerboard in dark walnut and pale maple. End grain is gentle on knife edges and wears well with regular oiling.
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An end-grain maple board framed with a border of purpleheart and yellowheart. The contrasting edge gives an everyday cutting board a finished, gift-ready look.
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A bench-hook pastry board in lacewood, whose flecked grain looks almost like scales. Finger-jointed lips hook over the counter edge to keep it put while you roll, and a small cross is inlaid in the surface.
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A live edge slab of olive wood, stabilized with padauk bowtie inlays across its natural checks. Olive's swirling grain makes each board one of a kind.
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A purpleheart tray that keeps its pale sapwood live edges, with maple handles at each end. Made for serving cheese, bread or coffee.
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A two-tier countertop shelf in padauk, held together with box joints. It keeps spices or tea within reach, and padauk's orange-red color mellows to a deep brown over time.
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Small hardwood stands that hold a tablet or phone upright for recipes, video calls or reading. A simple, useful gift.
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A mirror framed in dark live edge wood, with the natural edge of the tree left on the outside. The organic outline softens an entryway or bathroom wall.
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A lighter companion to the dark mirror, framed in figured wood with strong grain movement and a natural edge. Bright and warm, it suits a coastal home.
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A walking cane with an exotic hardwood shaft and a maple derby handle. Practical and handsome, and a thoughtful gift.
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A small padauk planter with box-jointed corners, sized for a succulent or herb on a windowsill.
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A standing three-tier planter in cedar, good for herbs, strawberries or flowers on a patio or balcony. Cedar holds up naturally to outdoor use.
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A live edge walnut beam that carries three cone pendants on chains. Good over a kitchen island or dining table. Hardwired, so installation by an electrician is recommended.
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Solid hardwood frames built to fit your artwork, including large and multi-panel pieces like this frame made for a triptych of about 5 x 2.5 ft. Quoted by size and wood.
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A live edge oak coffee table with a lower shelf for books and blankets. Sturdy and simple, it lets the slab do the talking.
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A solid walnut console with a curly maple stripe down the top and a slatted walnut and maple shelf below. It works as an entry, sofa or kitchen prep table.
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A desk top made from Curupay, a dense South American hardwood, keeping its live edge and rich figure. Each one is sized to its wood and space.
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A burl live edge top on hand-carved, sculpted legs. Part furniture and part sculpture, it's a centerpiece for a living room.
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A mid-century-style rocker in walnut and maple, with flowing, sculpted lines and a matching ottoman. Built to be sat in for years.
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A solid walnut dining table for four, with a curly maple stripe running down the center. The pale shimmering maple sets off the deep walnut.
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Every photo, including extra angles and work in progress. Click any photo to enlarge it.
Interested in a similar piece? Get in touch about a custom order. Everything shown here was made for a past client or project and has found its home. Each piece is a sample of what I can build for you in your size, wood and style.
Tell me what you have in mind, the wood you like and where the piece will live, and I'll put together a quote. A deposit of about 50% starts the build, with the balance due on delivery or pickup.
Each slab is different, so a new piece will vary from the photos in grain and edge. That's part of the appeal.
Finish & protection: Furniture and home pieces are finished with Rubio Monocoat or Osmo Polyx-Oil hard wax oil and protected with N3 Nano. Cutting and serving boards are finished with food-safe mineral oil, beeswax and carnauba wax for added resistance.
Nathan Darby, San Diego, CA
Email: [email protected]
Call or text: (858) 371-1815
Interested in a similar piece? Get in touch about a custom order. Local pickup in San Diego.