Hillsborough, California

Made for the room, not just placed in it.

Custom furniture designed and built by William Peterson in Hillsborough, California. Each commission begins with the space, the way you live, and the wood itself.

Explore the work Discuss a commission

The Adrian Table, a round rift-sawn white oak dining table on a conical stave base, in its dining room, with William Peterson standing beside it — The Adrian Table in its dining room, with the maker.

Selected work

Pieces made for particular rooms.

The work is being photographed. Please check back soon.

Commissions

A piece made for your room.

A commission begins with a conversation about the room, how the piece will be used, and what matters to you. You do not need a finished design.

Conversation

We discuss the space, the piece you have in mind, and the practical details that will shape it. Photographs, rough dimensions, and examples of what you like are useful starting points.

Design and proposal

The design develops around the room and its use. Before any wood is cut, you receive a written proposal setting out the agreed work.

Making

I build each piece myself, from selecting the boards to applying the finish.

What can be commissioned

Individual pieces

Tables, cabinets, desks, seating, and other furniture designed for a particular space and use.

Related pieces for one room

A principal piece with smaller pieces made to complement it, so the room holds together without looking like a set.

Wood with a history

A tree from your property. Reclaimed boards. Timber you have kept for years. When the material is suitable, it can become furniture that carries that history forward.

The workshop in Hillsborough: a long plywood assembly bench, a table saw, a bandsaw, and a wall of tools under the windows — The workshop, Hillsborough.

The maker

Designed and built by William Peterson.

I make furniture with close attention to proportion, the character of the wood, and the way a piece will be used. I work directly with each client and build every commission myself, from the first board to the final finish.

Materials and construction

The decisions behind the piece.

Long rift-sawn white oak boards standing on end at the lumber yard, with their straight grain showing — **Board selection**Rift-sawn white oak for the Adrian Table, chosen at the yard for straight, even grain so the 64-inch top reads as one surface.

The conical base of the Adrian Table glued up from oak staves and wrapped in orange tape on the workbench — **Construction**The table's base is a cone of 28 white oak staves, each beveled 6.5 degrees, glued edge to edge and held with tape while the glue sets.

Hands tightening a clamp on rows of end-grain blocks laid out for a cutting board — **Glue-up**An end-grain cutting board in the clamps: rows of blocks glued once into strips, then turned on end and glued again so the end grain faces up.

Maker's mark and design record

A record of its making.

Each piece carries a brass nameplate identifying the maker, piece number, and year. A signed design journal sheet records the piece's design and construction.

The nameplate for the Adrian Table, piece No. 01, as engraved.

William PetersonWilliam Peterson Fine Furniture

The design sheet for the Adrian Table: the 64-inch top, the 28-stave base, the stave profile, and the steps for shaping the top.

Begin a commission

Let's talk about your piece.

Tell me about the room, the piece you have in mind, and any timing you are working toward. A photograph or rough dimensions can help, but you do not need a finished design. I answer every inquiry personally.