Armoire Storage
In this commission the client had an armoire which she wanted retrofitted to store plates, flatware, and linens.
The inside depth of the piece was 18 3/4", which made it a bit too small to function as a space for hanging coats or other clothing. Recently married and in a new home, she and her husband needed a way to make better use of it. Any solution would need to compliment the clean, contemporary look of the armoire and be easily removed.
(any one who has ever had to deal with my Saga of the Two Armoires, or helped me move them, is now free to chuckle)
My first thoughts about a solution landed on something like campaign chests or barrister bookcases. Modular yet attractive boxes which can be moved without removing their contents. the last requirement was unnecessary and, since they would contain dinnerware, unwise. I have always liked campaign furniture and have proposed a few projects which featured their utility, but none were ever built.
Like the armoire, the boxes are made of cherry. The cabinet also has some exotic accent wood which I was unable to identify. I chose bubinga for the pulls and side handles, and that was a pretty close match.
The backs are solid 1/2" cherry, but it matches the existing back so well that it almost looks as if the boxes are open.
The drawers have thick, rounded fronts to play off of the gently rounded framing of the cabinet doors and carcase. The top two drawers are subdivided for flatware and other utensils. For the first time I used "self-closing" slides on the drawers. Rather than slamming closed, the last few inches of the slide have a mechanical cushion which soften the action of the slide and then holds the drawer in place. I was pleased, the clients were pleased, and they were no harder and only a bit more expensive than regular slides.
My preference is to make and use wood slides, but the 29" width of these drawers meant that they would be prone to racking and jamming, so their use was excluded here.
Each box is 32" wide, 17" deep, and 19" high. I left slight gaps between the boxes by putting round feet on their bottoms which mate with slightly larger holes in the top of the box below. The small gap becomes a place for storing place mats or the like. I also did purposely left some space between the top of the highest box and the existing shelf so that an additional storage surface is created.
Armoire Storage
In this commission the client had an armoire which she wanted retrofitted to store plates, flatware, and linens.
The inside depth of the piece was 18 3/4", which made it a bit too small to function as a space for hanging coats or other clothing. Recently married and in a new home, she and her husband needed a way to make better use of it. Any solution would need to compliment the clean, contemporary look of the armoire and be easily removed.
(any one who has ever had to deal with my Saga of the Two Armoires, or helped me move them, is now free to chuckle)
My first thoughts about a solution landed on something like campaign chests or barrister bookcases. Modular yet attractive boxes which can be moved without removing their contents. the last requirement was unnecessary and, since they would contain dinnerware, unwise. I have always liked campaign furniture and have proposed a few projects which featured their utility, but none were ever built.
Like the armoire, the boxes are made of cherry. The cabinet also has some exotic accent wood which I was unable to identify. I chose bubinga for the pulls and side handles, and that was a pretty close match.
The backs are solid 1/2" cherry, but it matches the existing back so well that it almost looks as if the boxes are open.
The drawers have thick, rounded fronts to play off of the gently rounded framing of the cabinet doors and carcase. The top two drawers are subdivided for flatware and other utensils. For the first time I used "self-closing" slides on the drawers. Rather than slamming closed, the last few inches of the slide have a mechanical cushion which soften the action of the slide and then holds the drawer in place. I was pleased, the clients were pleased, and they were no harder and only a bit more expensive than regular slides.
My preference is to make and use wood slides, but the 29" width of these drawers meant that they would be prone to racking and jamming, so their use was excluded here.
Each box is 32" wide, 17" deep, and 19" high. I left slight gaps between the boxes by putting round feet on their bottoms which mate with slightly larger holes in the top of the box below. The small gap becomes a place for storing place mats or the like. I also did purposely left some space between the top of the highest box and the existing shelf so that an additional storage surface is created.