Mike Dumas Copper Designs Inc.

This beautiful black walnut table holds a surprise in the middle of its smooth, natural wood top.

That surprise is a copper and stone water feature that flows so smoothly and calming we named the table “Serenity”. Mike finished the walnut by painstakingly giving it a hand-rubbed Danish Oil finish. Then he fit it with a copper basin, and a copper reservoir inconspicuously set below the table to house the pump. The water gently flows over sandstone rocks and trickles into the copper basin, accented with tiny copper nails.

The table legs are well seasoned driftwood from a local riverbed, making the table strong enough to function as a bench.

This unique and inviting table fits the outdoors as well as the indoors with its gentle curves and organic presence.

This beautiful copper entry table found its home today; custom built for an interesting curved wall entry. Mike met with the client and made a template of the gentle curve, then  designed this rope leg, copper topped table to fit the space.

He ordered these ‘rope legs’ from Osborne Wood Products and finished them with a handrubbed Danish Oil finish.

The edge was hand carved, and the copper top secured. The feet were also wrapped with copper.

The top was then accented with small copper nails.

And the finished piece was delivered to a happy homeowner.

Mike collects vintage porcelain light shades and this one found a perfect second life in our reading corner. We had a hideous halogen lamp from the 90′s buried in the corner. It put off good light, but was so ugly, and burned so hot.

This 10″ shade started out on the work bench, getting revamped and rewired to become our new reading light.

And ‘Voila’, a beautiful Torche’ lamp ready for our cozy corner.

Mike just finished this copper and wood Lazy Susan. I don’t know why they’re called lazy when they are such work horses. Back in the day when our family of 7 gathered each night for meals, we would have benefited from one of these handy tools. We filled the center of the table every night with bowls and plates of food, and their small hands dived in to get the best morsels before their brother’s. The hardest part was “passing the salt, the pepper, the sauce” etc., before their own food got cold. Seven is a lot of people to please.

The most intriguing part of this piece of art, to me, is the process Mike uses to finish the edge. He starts with the piece of wood, and with his dremel tool, he hand carves the look of rough cut wood into the edge.

Then a coat or two of minwax gives the wood its color and depth. The smooth antiqued copper makes a beautiful and durable surface for the top. The rotating action on this Lazy Susan is so smooth it just makes it a pleasure to use.

Mike has made other Lazy Susan’s as well, and is in the process of creating a beautiful copper topped foyer table with this rustic edge that I will post when it is finished.

We recently finished a lighting project for the Four Winds Casino in Michigan. Mike created a 4’ copper and mica chandelier, and I made a band of stained glass to encircle the light. He made these copper embossed turtles for the bottom of the chandelier base, and the posts of the gaming area.

We also made several wall sconces and pendant lights to match the chandelier. The copper, glass, and mica accent each other so beautifully in color and texture.

This was a very time consuming project, taking several weeks to finish, but it was very rewarding when it was done.

We received positive comments from the architect, and designer alike, and look forward to posting more of the finished work when the casino project is completed.

In 2004 Mike created this copper coffee table as an entrance into the Western Design Conference, then held in Cody Wyoming. The buffalo skull, formed over a wooden mold that he carved by hand, was surrounded with his leather texture. The medallion was permanently set on the antiqued copper top, and both pieces were nailed to the top of the alder wood table with copper nails.

The table top was surrounded with wooden pieces, called applied pole, in the Molesworth style. The legs were inlaid with copper arrows that Mike hand-formed and hammered. This piece eventually ended up in Park City, UT.

A second, similar table was created for a ranch in Montana with the Rancher’s requested 2Feathers emblem in the center instead of the buffalo skull. The Cody Table II resides in Ivins, UT., in a private collection of western art which includes some beautiful pottery by Maria Martinez. Mike has designed and created other applied pole tables which are featured in private residences.

Cody Table and Thunderbird Table photographed by our friend, Frank Carter,UT 2004.

Mike made me this beautiful gift a few years ago, and it takes center stage near our dining table. The detail of the icon, pressed into the aged copper, and the craftsmanship of the wood frame with its classic lettering, and fine finish, are so simple and captivating.

We are believers, and as such we know that our view is limited. The bigger picture belongs to God. Throughout our home are beautiful affirmations that we are invited to be bold, and ask. Life gets shaky and we need the assurance that the world is not on our shoulders.

This ancient prayer has been spoken in unison, and in private whispers in our home for years. It is the foundation of simple faith.

Copper and glass; it’s what we do. And we do it with a passion. Mike and I are both addicted to the magic that comes out of the glass kiln, and when it can be accented or mixed with the incredible beauty of copper, it is an affirmation of our joy with the medium.

Not your run of the mill house numbers but, custom, hand formed copper numbers with a western flair. These distinctly unique numbers stand out on the leather textured background that will be attached to a boulder at the front of the Arizona homeowner’s property.

Each of the arrows is carefully shaped, hammered, and patinaed, then attached to a hand textured leather-look copper background. The arch gives a nice frame to the 1118, and will surely catch the eye of passers-by.