Sitting in FourBarrel Coffee on a cloudy San Francisco morning sipping coffee in her overalls, long hair flowing over her shoulders, Aleksandra Zee looks like any other hip Mission dweller — until she explains her vocation. “A lady woodworker is definitely tough as nails, because men are thought of as woodworkers,” says Zee, 29. Zee honed her craft as a full-time installation artist for Anthropologie for two years starting in 2008, building giant wood installations, tables, cabinets and light fixtures. In August, she had a solo exhibition, “Sea Salt,” at Rare Device. Zee’s artistic style is recognizable for its geometric designs and Southwestern-colored wood stains. “The desert is where I draw a lot of my inspiration — the color scheme and the textiles, artisans, the history,” she says. If people were tearing down houses, I have friends send me pictures of piles of torn-out construction. During the past year, Zee’s status as a sought-after artisan (and blog subject) has shot up because of her dreamy Instagram feed featuring photos of her artwork, road trips and an effortlessly decorated Mission apartment where she lives with her wild-haired musician boyfriend, Antrom Kury, and a dog named Jack. Zee grew up in the small coastal community of Dana Point (Orange County). After college she loaded up her Jeep, headed north and never looked back. [...] the increase in tech money has also meant new customers who have kept Zee busy with requests for custom pieces.