The California Series comes in three sizes: a large size desk, a medium size coffee table, and a small coffee table.

DESK [L]: $3850 86″ long, 29.5″ tall

COFFEE TABLE [M]: $2850 72″ long, 16″ tall

COFFEE TABLE [S]: $2150 56″ long, 16″ tall

The California shape offers ideal function as desk or coffee table, and brings to mind all of the positive associations with “the golden state”: artistic contribution, technical innovation, entertainment production, political progression, and diversity of population and geographies.

Claro walnut, a perfect analog to the left coast’s culture and people, possesses a spectrum of colors and textures, unique among wood species. And, it’s rare. Because Claro walnut is not harvested commercially at any significant scale, it is obtained mostly through small, independent sawyers who are able to spare displaced or dead trees from the landfill or chipper. Since the species is no longer planted in the orchards, it’s availability is finite and shrinking year by year.

I can think of no greater tribute to this material than to create from it functional pieces of furniture in the shape of it’s geographic origin. And, we spend an extraordinary amount of time on every part of the construction process: sourcing the lumber, milling, layout, joining, hand-sanding the crisp facets of the coastline, oiling and buffing out the finish -all of those extra hours to ensure we’re creating a (deceptively simple) design object with unparalleled craftsmanship.

All table and desk tops are finished with a low-toxic tung and linseed-oil varnish. Discounted personal delivery is available to some destinations in the San Francisco Bay area. Crating/shipping charges within the continental U.S. are: $100/small table, $150/medium table, $250/large desk. Allow 8-10 weeks for delivery.

After that point, the focus of my creative endeavor was usually in pursuit of capturing the attention of some girl, and I exhausted all of the mediums at hand. I tried not to repeat any. For example, if I gave a painting to one girl, I’d have to give an embroidered pillowcase to another. I was 20 years old when I ran out of obvious ideas. Christmas was approaching and I wanted to do something elaborate for a girl I had been dating. Without any former exposure to woodworking (outside of ramp carpentry), I decided to build this girl a finely made wooden box to keep trinkets and letters in. I consumed the local library’s woodworking volumes, talked to all the grandpas in the neighborhood, and finally paid attention to the Sunday afternoon woodworking shows on PBS. I toured Southern Lumber in San Jose (an amateur-friendly indoor lumberyard with an incredible inventory of pre-milled exotic woods), agonizing over individual boards, finally settling on some figured maple and mahogany. And, having no other tools of significance or quality at home, I bought a single chisel, a dovetail saw, and two clamps.

For the next month, I spent nearly all of my free time on the construction of this box. In fact, the object of this effort was beginning to feel frustrated and suspicious because I was always ‘busy’ when she wanted to hang out. Christmas Eve was spent applying coats of finish at 3 and 4 hour intervals throughout the night, and the box was finally delivered at around 10pm on Christmas Day. I suppose it was portentous that when it came time to leave that night, I felt more conflict in separating from the box than the girl.

Anyway, that was the project that hooked me. I still love playing music, producing drawings, paintings, and other two-dimensional works, but I’m most satisfied in making a thing that is composed of wood -this gorgeous organic material that is strong, enduring, reflective, and can be joined to form a functional object -a thing that is used, admired, and rendered more valuable with the character of it’s age and history of service.

I didn’t consider woodworking could be a profession until after I suffered through a few years of jobs and aimless college courses. I spent a few months working in cabinetry shops in order to have machinery access, and in 2001 when I was 25, I determined that I would be a furniture-maker. Of course, I didn’t really know what that meant at the time or what it might take (or cost). I first made a careful study of all the universities, colleges, and art academies along the western states that had any kind of woodworking program. I toured shops, interviewed students and faculty, and finally settled on attending Cerritos College -a humble community college with a startlingly large and vital woodworking program. I took classes there for just two semesters while also joining The Woodworkers Guild of Southern California. At the time, the WGSC was a collection of 30 or so professional woodworkers from around the L.A. area -mostly one-man shops. Up to that point, I had only produced one or two legitimate pieces of ‘woodworking’, so I assume my enthusiasm and dedication to making it my own vocation qualified me for an associate membership.

Through the guild I made a number of enduring friendships, and supported myself by working in various members’ shops. I might work Monday and Tuesday in Culver City, Wednesday and Thursday in Pasadena, and spend Friday in my 9′ x 21′ one-car garage workshop making lots of mistakes. After a time, I transitioned to working just 2-3 days a week for William Stranger who was a patient teacher and still a great friend (I talked so much, I don’t know how he endured me). William was generous in allowing me to witness aspects of a woodworker’s business reality: working with clients and designers, seeking economy in tools and materials purchasing, pricing labor, etc. This insight, and his trust in allowing me to take a few projects from start to finish gave me the confidence to move back to San Jose in 2003 to open a shop of my own.

Here’s a photo of that box I made as a Christmas gift -my first article of woodworking from 1996:

from what I recall, the dimensions are 14″ W x 20″ L x 12″ H

Here’s the toolbox I made while in school at Cerritos in 2001-2002:

Dimensions are 10″ W x 25″ L x 13.5″ H

Wood is like gemstone. It is a precious, organic material that can be used for pedestrian industrial purposes, or it can be carefully faceted, polished, and set to reveal the greatest color, figure, and clarity. Unlike many gemstones though, wood is plentiful among us, and it can be composed in forms to satisfy the most vital human needs. As a designer and craftsman, I act as steward to this vital resource, seeking to honor it through my attention and skill.

I’m drawn most to the ‘modern’ aesthetics of the mid-twentieth century, and I feel that these clear, minimal forms are the best means of showcasing the beauty of the wood.  Construction is a mixture of contemporary technique and traditional joinery with great care taken to ensure these works endure over many future generations.

My process seeks always to minimize negative ecological impact by sourcing sustainable domestic wood species, namely: Walnut, Maple, and Cherry, and I relish every opportunity to make use of local trees otherwise destined for the fireplace or the landfill.  Because I work only with solid woods, a scratch, a dented corner, or a worn armrest will not reveal an inferior material hidden beneath a thin layer of veneer.  Rather, marks of wear on a piece of J. Rusten furniture will only serve to demonstrate it’s value as a beloved functional object.

Every piece of furniture is finished with a low-toxic, hand-rubbed, linseed or tung oil. Much attention is given toward showcasing the most beautiful section of each cut of wood. Occasionally, features like knotholes, cracks, and mineral streaking are highlighted in celebration of the organic nature of the material.

……

This will be a venue for thoughts on process, technique, intent, and other ideas related to furniture-as-art.

For now, enjoy this short film my friend David Thompson shot back in 2005 to document the construction of one of my early chair designs.

photo by Neil Barrett for Taylor Stitch, Charlie the bird appears courtesy of Laura Stevenson.

The Wong credenza is a custom piece modeled after the Cupertino credenza but features instead a case of maple with a single Claro walnut slab for the four doors and four drawer-fronts. In order to maintain the clean, flat plane of the slab, recessed finger-pulls were cut into the doors and drawers, while sliding dovetail battens help maintain flatness from behind. The maple case is joined with a pattern of randomly spaced half-blind dovetails. 70″W x 32″H x 18″D

In addition to the standard California Series, J.R.F.S also produces a limited number of special edition California desks and tables every year. The wood for these pieces is selected from the highest grade of heavily-figured Claro walnut. Most of this rare lumber becomes reserved for instrument making, gunstocks, or veneer, but we think a showcase piece for your home is the most noble use.

Limited Edition California pieces also feature a sculptural cantilevered base made from native oak treated with a natural vinegar stain to achieve a charcoal-colored patina. Every extra step is taken in the construction and finishing to ensure these pieces are “museum quality” works of functional art that will only appreciate in value. Early J. Rusten pieces have already been offered for sale on the secondary art market.

Like the standard California Series, Limited Edition California pieces are available in a large desk size, medium desk, medium coffee table, and small coffee table. Additionally, a bar-height version of the large desk can be custom ordered. Pricing is available upon request and reflects the scarcity and expense of this precious wood, and the time demanded to create the sculptural base and meticulously-wrought detailing.

Bar-height wine “tasting table”.

Limited Edition California tables are finished with a low-toxic oil/varnish mixture. Personal delivery is free to destinations in the San Francisco bay area, and just $100 anywhere within the state of California. For shipping/delivery rates outside of California, email for a quote. Please allow 10-12 weeks for creation/delivery.

Raw oak base before vinegar solution.

I purchased a tree that was displaced by development some years ago. With the help of a local tree surgeon/sawyer, I milled the tree into slabs, air-dried them in my backyard for 2-3 years, and have built a number of these coffee tables.

The slabs are California Claro Walnut, which has been used for centuries as the root stock in local walnut orchards. In all of these slabs, you can clearly see the line at the top where the Claro Walnut was grafted to the fruit-bearing English Walnut. I have seldom seen more beautiful wood with greater variety of color. There are blues, blacks, and purples in the midst of the swirling red, brown, and orange.

The bases are made of Piedmont Poplar -salvaged from a tree in Oakland.

Like the Cupertino Cantilever table, this desk is a study in balance and strength using traditional woodworking techniques (mitered, half-blind dovetails in this case), and a spare, rectilinear silhouette that is elevated from the ground by a minimal maple base.

The desk is built from Black walnut and Hard maple.

Dimensions are 24″ W x 58″ L x 29.5″ H.

This desk is sold, but an equal piece may be commissioned. Please email for schedule and shipping information. 

The Cupertino Cantilever table is a study in balance and strength using traditional woodworking techniques (half-blind dovetails in this case), and a spare, rectilinear silhouette that is separated from the ground by a minimal maple base. I was gratified to find that the extended plane of the top could support my full weight with little deflection (I’m not encouraging your own testing.)

Made from Black walnut and Hard maple.

The dimensions of this piece are approximately 21″ W x 49″ L x 15″ H.

The following are photos of the first version of this design in a slightly larger size (30″ W x 60″ L x 16″ H).

The asymmetrical dovetail pattern is determined by the widths of the 5 boards that are glued together to compose the carcass.

Everyone is startled by how comfortable it is, and many have said they never expected a solid-wood chair could be so pleasant to sit in over a long period.

claro walnut seat/back

claro walnut seat/back

cherry seat/back

cantilever strength test