Richard Grieves has had his own business since the late 1970s. At Cape Shore Woodworking in Cumberland, he builds kitchen cabinets, furniture for home offices and entertainment centers.

One day a client brought him a mass-produced, shabby-looking, rickety table in the shape of a fish and asked him to spruce it up with a little paint. Grieves loved the whimsical design and was inspired to come up with his own folding fish table. He started building his version about two years ago and now makes them in four colors.

Courtesy photo

“These really are a blast” to make, Grieves said. “They require a lot of thinking just to put it together.”

The tables are constructed of native eastern white pine. “It’s a nice light wood, but it’s also got some strength,” Grieves said.

The eyeball of the fish is half of a ping-pong ball.

Grieves uses waterproof glue and non-corrosive brass screws and bolts to put the tables together. The finish is two coats of deck paint – splash orange, serenity blue, fiery flamingo or spring meadow green. All of this makes for one sturdy outdoor table – a place to set your cold drink at an outdoor concert, a cocktail table for your boat or campsite, or a funky addition to your patio.

“We take it a lot out to the beach,” Grieves said.

The tables are for sale at the Furniturea store at 75 Market St. in Portland’s Old Port, and can also be purchased directly from Grieves. They cost $290. To order from Grieves, call (207) 650-8965.