Adirondack Chair

I was introduced to woodworking in the 2nd grade at a school that required woodshop and it became a sanctuary for me. By the age of twelve I was apprenticing with Serano, a master cabinet and furniture maker in Los Angeles. While a string of jobs through high school and college distracted me, my love of woodworking persisted. While between jobs in Silicon Valley software companies I was offered a commission to create an original design and craft a complete dining room set. I’ve been designing and building one-of-a-kind custom furniture for clients ever since. Most furniture makers develop a personal style that is evident in everything they make and hopefully that’s a style the customer likes to. My pieces are a reflection of my client and the space the piece will live in. Two clients can make the exact same request for a coffee table, but the design of each piece will be as unique as their own personalities. Quality craftsmanship is the corner stone of every good furniture shop. At CBD we’ve employed the process of continuous quality improvement that I learned while working at technology companies. To make a piece better it has to be designed and engineered better. Wood movement controlled for the moisture content of your space. Finishes selected for protection, beauty and indoor air quality. Clay Baker Design employs an impressive array of resources for our clients. CBD isn't just one little shop making wood shavings or a massive shop with tons of overhead. CBD has access to the resources of several San Francisco Bay Area furniture and cabinet shops, specialty finishers and museum quality restoration experts, glass artisan's, metal workers, upholstery shops, foundries and more. Anything required to make a vision reality is easily within reach from artisans and craftsmen I’ve known for up to twenty years. To best visualize a design for a client I create sketches and renderings in sophisticated computer aided design software. When possible the entire room will also be drawn to establish the correct proportions and wood tones for the furniture. While I’ve made pieces for notable Silicon Valley executives and Hollywood film and TV actors, my personal favorites are the liturgical pieces I created for the sanctuary of a Silicon Valley church. Infused with the symbolism of their faith, those ten pieces will be providing joy to generations of parish families. If you are concerned about pictures of your home or commissioned furniture appearing online or in promotional materials please know that about half of my clients ask that their work with me remain confidential to preserve their privacy and not publicize their possessions. A standard non-disclosure agreement is available for any client who requests privacy.