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Made in California: furniture crafted by hand

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To improve the flavor of mass-produced wine, half-inch-thick pieces of white oak are added to stainless steel vats of reds and whites as part of the fermentation process. Marina del Rey furniture maker Cliff Spencer takes that discarded wood and transforms it into pieces such as his Malachete table ($2,250), above. The gorgeous striping of the tabletop is a sign that the various pieces of wood were steeped in everything from Pinot Noir to Pinot Grigio. (For a detail of the tabletop, click to the jump.)

One of Richard Patterson’s most recent designs: two elegant nesting tables ($4,000 for the pair, pictured at right) cut from the same camphor tree, so the wood is perfectly “bookmatched.” The artist is represented by the Altered Space Gallery in Venice, or you can see more of his work, including beautiful benches and side tables, at his own Clay and Wood website.

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Repurposed Pallet Shelving by Jason Burton is pretty much what it sounds like: oak slats recycled into eco-friendly displays. Each is made in Long Beach, shipped flat ready to be assembled in any number of configurations. Vertical posts are slotted to allow for shelf planks to slide in and lock into place using a wrench that’s included; the whole thing is protected with a clear Safecoat finish. A full system measuring 48 inches square is $500. Half-size orders (24-by-48 inches) are $300. shibuidesigns.com. For a photo, click to the jump.

Above: Detail of Cliff Spencer’s Malachete table, made of oak pieces whose color varies depending on the wine in which it was steeped.

Above: Repurposed Pallet Shelving by Jason Burton

-- Craig Nakano and David A. Keeps

Photos courtesy of Cliff Spencer, Richard Patterson and Jason Burton

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