Hi, I'm Esterina
Woodworker, storyteller, maker, and mom.
I founded Tavolo Studios in 2021 — from a single cutting board I couldn't find anywhere.
Tavolo is Italian for table. I'm third-generation Italian, and I make pieces for the spaces where people gather, eat, and connect.
Boards are my main work. I also take on a few furniture commissions each year — case goods, side tables, occasional pieces.
How it started
In 2021, I was looking for one very specific cutting board — large enough for a Thanksgiving turkey, solid, durable, with a real juice groove. I searched everywhere. I couldn't find it.
I vented to my therapist one day. She said, "Well, you're handy. Why don't you just make it yourself?"
Later that same week, I drove past a Woodcraft store I'd never noticed before. The sign said: "We offer woodworking classes." I called the number and booked a shop safety class.
One year, dozens of practice boards, and countless YouTube tutorials later, the realtor who'd helped us buy our house came by. He saw the boards on my counter and asked, "Could I order some for my clients?"
I thought he meant one or two. He ordered twenty-five.
That was the moment I realized this wasn't a hobby anymore.
Where I am now
Today, my work blends craftsmanship, design, and storytelling. I make boards in small batches from my California studio. I take on a few furniture commissions each year. I film the build for my YouTube channel — a quiet, story-driven place for creativity, connection, and community.
Through it all, I'm building a slower way of life. One that minimizes decision fatigue, finds beauty in ordinary routines, and protects the kind of work I want to be doing for the next twenty years.