Wednesday, June 28, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
9
Craftsman turns wood into art
By Jodi Schneider McNamee
Correspondent
Blue Pine, sought after
by designers for its dramatic
look, gets its hue from a fun-
gus that develops in the logs
once the tree has died.
Master craftsman Dan
Coker, who recently opened
the doors to his Blue Pine
Designs showroom on East
Cascade Avenue in Sisters,
has been fascinated with blue
pine since he was a kid.
“The blue streaks are
caused by a fungus that the
insects introduce into the
tree. The unique coloration
doesn’t affect the wood’s
strength or durability,” Coker
said. “Some of the pieces
remind me of a Navajo
carving.”
When a furniture-maker
has as much artistic talent
as Coker, you’d assume he’s
been working with wood all
his life. But his original trade
was in auto upholstery.
“I’ve loved wood all my
life and began working with
it in junior high, but took an
auto upholstery course right
after high school and began
with that,” said Coker.
Coker discovered he had
an artistic eye by coming up
with his own unique designs
with upholstery.
“I was creating off-the-
wall designs, something that
didn’t really fit into the mold.
But my clients were happy
with my weird designs,” he
said smiling.
During the 1980s Coker
owned an upholstery shop
in Springfield, Oregon, but
decided to join forces with
his dad who was a logger.
“I was a timber faller
for nearly four years and
cut wood with my dad,” he
recalled. “Then the spot-
ted owl controversy stopped
all that. But I still worked
with wood and was always
doing something artistic such
as making unusual picture
frames.”
From 1998 to 2001 Coker
sprayed finishes for Beaver
Coach Motorhomes. During
that time, he moved to Bend
with his wife and had a home
built on their acre of land.
“I’ve always wanted to
cut and mill my own lum-
ber,” Coker told The Nugget.
To launch the new ven-
ture, he bought the prop-
erty next door and built a
5,000-square foot shop.
“I have a saw mill and
a kiln,” explained Coker.
“Sometimes I cut the wood
down myself and then haul it
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER MCNAMEE
Dan Coker is a craftsman in wood at his new Blue Pine Designs showroom
in Sisters.
Customers can buy what’s located at 411 E. Cascade
on the floor, but more impor- Ave. in Sisters (corner of
tantly I take custom furniture Larch Street and Highway
orders that will give the cli- 20). They will host a grand
ent what he needs.”
opening on Saturday, July 1,
Blue Pine Designs is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Beginners Watercolor r Class
NO DRAWING EXPERIENCE NEEDED!
D!
Learn to paint from photos of wildlife, landscapes,
capes,
portraits of people or whatever your passion n is.
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er.
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Jodi, 707-337-5047
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The Showroom
@
to my shop, mill it and then
dry it in my kiln.
“It’s fun cutting into the
logs because you never know
what kind of wood you’re
going to get. Each one has its
own character.”
And Coker uses just about
every kind of wood you can
imagine creating his furniture
designs, from alder to cherry.
Coker has four employees
in the shop and an operat-
ing manager in the Blue Pine
Designs showroom.
“No one loves working
with wood more than Dan,
he has such an artistic flair,”
said showroom manager
Kristine Johnson. “He can
pick up a log from the ground
and see it as something beau-
tiful to design. It’s the perfect
combination for me. He’s
the artistic worker bee and I
enjoy building relationships
with people.”
Johnson adds an elegant
touch of her own to the show-
room by bringing in mid-cen-
tury antiques she buys from
estate sales.
From custom furnishings
with upholstery to custom
cabinetry to trailer conver-
sions, Coker does it all.
“My goal for the show-
room is for people to come in
and see my custom designs.
Custom Cabinetry & Furniture
Trailer Conversions • Antiques & Collectibles
We’ll ship anywhere! • FREE in-store or in-home consultations • In-house upholstery shop
Dan Coker has more than
40 years experience as an artisan
bringing your dreams to life.
Horse Trailer Living Quarters Conversion
Furniture Design
541-904-5162
bluepinedesigns.com
Rustic Kitchen Cabinetry & Bar
Antiques &
Collectibles
Join us at the showroom for our...
Grand Opening Party!
Saturday,
July 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
S
411 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters
(Corner of Larch Street & Highway 20)
Gi
ays!
veaw
Contemporary
Cabinetry