REPORTER STAFF

From raw, untamed wood, a Pacific man sees and shapes remarkable things.

Michael Hall spends many hours in his garage, sanding and polishing portions of bird’s-eye maple, redwood and maple trees, transforming them into decorative and authentic corner and coffee tabletops.

“What I do is hard to explain,” Halls said of his craft. “It’s kind of like a jigsaw puzzle. You have an idea of what you want, but you never know exactly how it will turn out. No two are exactly the same, and I like that.”

Hall began to turn natural wood into burl furniture two years when he was medically retired after a long career in the automotive industry.

Good with his hands, he studied and pursued woodworking.

He found pieces of trees people were willing to give up. He also purchased the prized wood online.

To Hall, there is no shortage of good product and creative possibilities.

He is willing to put in the work. A large redwood table, for instance, will take several weeks of sanding and polishing. Hall knows the product is finished by look and feel.

“I love it,” Hall said. “There’s a lot of character to the wood.”

Furniture pieces range in price from $200-$1,000. To inquire, call Hall at 253-939-8231.

Elsewhere

• MainVue Homes, a new Seattle homebuilder, has opened a collection of homes at the Bridges master planned community in Auburn.

The center, on the corner of SE 304th Street and 124th Ave. SE, is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Tuesday.

MainVue’s signature “World of Model Homes” also is open for viewing. Homebuyers can view 11 model homes on display.

At World of Model Homes in the Bridges, buyers can spend a day experiencing and selecting, different home designs, home sizes and color schemes.

For more information, call 253-737-4832 or visit www.mainvuehomes.com.