Handmade custom furniture and custom benches in the Catalina Foothills

Our search for the “perfect bench” took well over a year but we finally found it. And while it may seem like a trivial detail, our front patio was crying out for a bench ever since the previous home owners packed up their cute desert stone bench on the moving truck.

We must’ve seen 50 or more candidates made of everything from wood to stone to various metals…across the whole spectrum of designs. While the bench wouldn’t be directly exposed to rain (and beaming sunshine) because of a large overhead, it needed to withstand the monsoon season. So any bench of the purely indoor variety was out of the question.

Home Depot and Lowe’s — which many Catalina Foothills homeowners often find themselves in for the odd item — surprisingly offered a few possibilities but ultimately, they were on the Spartan side. We came close once or twice at the Fort Lowell Furniture District (Copenhagen Imports, California Design Center, Knock-on-Wood, Contents Interiors and Alexander’s Fine Furniture) but no cigar. We also found a few nice stone and granite benches at Tivoli Fountains — where our fountain hails from — but once again, it didn’t strike the right chord. However, just across the street, El Mesquite Handmade Furniture caught our eye. As soon as we walked through the door, it was clear we’d hit pay dirt. Beautiful, custom made dining tables, cabinets and lo and behold …an exquisite mesquite bench.

While spacious and comfortable for my six foot tall husband, my excitement was quickly dampened when I sat on it, since my feet were several inches off the ground. Not a problem though since this is a “custom” furniture store and run by the gracious Ramirez family. Ignacio Ramirez has been handcrafting furniture for over fifty years and is truly a master as evidenced by the perfectly sized and flush cabinet doors and hinges (among other telltales) you’ll encounter at the store. We placed an order for a scaled down version of the wonderful bench in their showroom and it was promptly delivered as promised within six weeks. It was the most rewarding (and modestly priced) purchase we’ve made in the last two years. When you visit, you’ll have to liaison through Ignacio’s son, Jesus, if you’re not a Spanish speaker.

El Mesquite 2563 E. Ft Lowell Tucson, AZ 85716 Jesus Ramirez (520) 320-5914