Woodworker: Jim & Laura McCaul

The McCauls live in a lake house in the woods, and the natural surroundings influence their furniture collaborations. This hall table (18 in. deep by 60 in. wide by 36 in. tall) and mirror (28 in. wide by 38 in. tall) are part of a series with a marsh theme. The table apron and mirror feature Laura’s tiles, which are created using a version of a Native American process called blackware and are fired outdoors in a three-barrel kiln that burns wood scraps and sawdust from Jim’s workshop. The solar kiln-dried walnut is finished with a washcoat of amber shellac followed by multiple coats of a tung oil/varnish mixture and wax.

Photo: Peter Lee