El Dorado Woodworks

El Dorado Woodworks El Dorado Woodworks has been creating high end custom furniture and cabinets since 1993.

Whether it's from the vast selection on our website or the depth of your imagination, let El Dorado Woodworks create a beautiful handcrafted heirloom for you.

03/05/2026

Here my friends is possible my favorite desk to build, so much a favorite that the very first time we were commissioned to build one in 2000, I built two as I was in need of a home desk. I attribute the design to Limbert but could also by to Gustav Stickley as well. The chair is a fave also, the Stickley V-Back dining chair. A lot of people look at pictures and think this furniture is very uncomfortable…then they take a seat…and melt into the warmth of the wood. Don’t you want to have that experience? If so, shoot me a message and we can make your furniture dreams a reality. Watch until the end to see that fabulous figure on the desk top.

02/03/2026

Here is the pulpit we just delivered to a local Church. One of the most challenging projects to date (seems like I’ve been saying that a lot lately) and definitely a satisfying process as all of the curves slowly melded into one another. Made with rift white oak and ebony details.

01/22/2026

We get a lot of interesting projects from the designers we work with and each one seems to be more challenging than the last. That statement is an understatement when it comes to this desk. Interesting shape of course but you may ask “how in the world is that solid wood leg made and how is that all supposed to come together and stand solid and stable?” Well…you call El Dorado Woodworks and we will figure that out for you! Eighty five percent of the budget went into that leg and the successive sub-tops…the rest is just child’s play!😎

What we are currently finishing up give me goose bumps every time I look at it. The lines just flow so beautifully, it’s...
01/21/2026

What we are currently finishing up give me goose bumps every time I look at it. The lines just flow so beautifully, it’s hard not to just sit and stare at it for extended periods.

01/03/2026

As we begin a shiny New Year, I want to share one of the last pieces we did in 2025 that really strikes a chord with me. The field of the top was a blank of Curley walnut we had laid up over a decade ago. For a reason I cannot remember, that blank was not right and had to be remade. The squirrel inside me told me to hang on to it as someone someday will want it and sure enough, someone did! Bordered with solid walnut with a string inlay of ebony, this piece is ready to shine in its new home. Shout out to my guy Jeff in the shop who’s tireless yearning for perfection truly made this piece sing!

From our Bungalow to yours, Linda and I wish you a joyous holiday as we venture into a prosperous New Year!
12/25/2025

From our Bungalow to yours, Linda and I wish you a joyous holiday as we venture into a prosperous New Year!

12/20/2025

This marks our first Christmas in our newly renovated 100 year old bungalow. Thinking back, with what life has dealt us otherwise, this might be the first time we’ve put the tree up in 11 years! It’s not only good to “be home” but it’s also nice to see the holiday spirit in this century old beauty!

12/19/2025

Finish complete, upholstery perfected, delivered to Illinois! The client received these two today and was overjoyed with the way they turned out. At their behest, the chairs were stained twice with our typical aniline dyes we use but instead of wiping down that last coat of stain with a water dampened rag I used a rag dampened with a 50% solution of stain. The previous method removes most of the stain sitting on the surface somewhat brightening the flake. The later method somewhat opaque the flake and deepening the color at the same time. I didn’t think I’d like this but they did turn out fantastic!

There was once a time when building Arts & Crafts furniture constituted over 90% of our workload. Unfortunately, that’s...
12/12/2025

There was once a time when building Arts & Crafts furniture constituted over 90% of our workload. Unfortunately, that’s not the case these days as the style is not in demand as at once was, but when we do get an order for a piece in the style, I am an absolute heaven! This is one of two chairs inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright studio cube chair that we’re making for a client in Illinois. There’s nothing I love more than working with Quarter Sawn Oak from finding absolutely gorgeous figure to staining it to make the flake pop out and then to finish it in shellac… the end result is always a work of art showing off the natural beauty of the wood. 

12/11/2025

Needless to say this is when I’m my happiest. Although we do furniture of all styles, working in the Arts & Crafts style is where my heart is especially when it comes to pieces inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. This chair is inspired by his studio cube chair and the finish I’m applying is shellac. There is absolutely no better finish on reproduction style piece then shellac. After spraying several light coats it gets buffed out with steel wool and polished with paraffin oil and it looks like a hand rubbed oil finish. We’ve done lacquer on pieces like this before, but there’s just a sparkle with the shellac that lacquer cannot duplicate. We have to build two more of these chairs in the near future so if you want a set for yourself, now is the time to buy and jump on that order so they can be done in a timely manner. If you’re interested, let me know and we’ll discuss.

Burning the midnight oil as I usually do this time of year, not necessarily on projects needed by Christmas but just try...
12/07/2025

Burning the midnight oil as I usually do this time of year, not necessarily on projects needed by Christmas but just trying to wrap the year on a high note. We have been in the new shop now for almost 3 months, still things to organize but I’m liking the layout so much better. As I left tonight, the beautiful light and colors outside the shop caught my eye…just one pic to close the night and then head off for a frosty beverage.

11/28/2025

I recently had to take a trip to Huntsville, TX to visit a client’s ranch where he had a stash of air dried walnut sourced from his property. Air dried walnut is much richer and warmer with a variety of colors throughout compared to kiln dried stock. This is due to the fact that the kiln drying process zaps a lot of that warmth leaving behind still a beautiful wood but with a slight grayish tone. At the ranch I had the opportunity to visit one of my “children” if you would, this gorgeous sunburst coffee table made from some of his highly figured stock. The sunburst is made from resawing thick stock into 1/8” thick veneers and laying it up in the dynamic pattern you see. It’s hard to get all the points in solid stick veneer to meet in the middle thus the decorative inlay of a walnut Burl with a hickory border. Seeing something like this years after creating it proves to me that I do love my job!

Address

3603 Polk Street
Houston, TX
77003

Telephone

(713) 529-3880

Website

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