A custom-designed desk made in solid walnut from my clients’ backyard tree.
All photos here are by Kendall Reeves, Spectrum Studio
After being cut, the log was left on the ground for a few years, as a result of which it developed quite a bit of rot. I did extensive patching to replace, and in some cases reinforce, rotten sections of heartwood and sapwood.
This back corner shows the subtle but extensive patching to replace sections of rot. The mitered corner of the apron is inlaid with a half-butterfly (the shape in this case purely decorative) and reinforced with kerfed splines. I shaped the rear edge of the top by hand to remove punky sapwood, which would have proved all too tempting to my clients’ kittens — it was the perfect texture for shredding. The long back edge of the front angled leg seen here has a large chunk of inlay and a second strip of heartwood running most of its length at the back edge.
The desk has two drawers made with handcut dovetails and mounted on full-extension Blum Tandem slides, in addition to a keyboard tray with a live edge.
Detail showing side of small drawer with handcut dovetails and half-butterfly key reinforcing a small split at the front of the side support rail
Detail showing two knots patched with decorative inlaid keys and dead knot at the front corner of the upper shelf
Detail showing keyboard tray partially extended and small drawer