From decades in mortgage banking to a lifelong passion realized — welcome to CotoWoodworks, where craftsmanship meets story.

I’m Ed Adams, a lifelong woodworker and recent retiree from the mortgage banking world. I spent over 35 years as an executive in mortgage lending, helping families get into homes. Now, I focus on what fills those homes: handcrafted, meaningful pieces of woodwork that last generations.

My journey began in Oklahoma, where I first fell in love with woodworking in high school woodshop classes. When my wife and I moved to California, we couldn’t afford expensive furniture, so we’d take black-and-white Polaroids of pieces we loved at Ethan Allen and replicate them at home with minimal tools and a lot of creativity.

One of those early projects — a farmhouse-style dining table — still sits in our home today, a daily reminder of those humble beginnings and the love we built into each piece.

CotoWoodworks is about preserving that spirit: thoughtful craftsmanship, personal connection, and locally made custom pieces for homes around Orange County.