This was a completely custom build that turned out to be a wonderful collaboration between a very design-oriented customer and me. He knew exactly what he wanted; with the help of SketchUp and my furniture-building experience, his vision was realized. He knew he wanted to integrate the metal to match the industrial look of his home design and ceramics to bring in the Southwestern style.
The project is built with knotty alder and stained to match the decor of his home. I used tongue-and-groove for the main piece and some loose tenon joinery to attach the bottom storage area. I sealed everything with several coats of clear lacquer to protect the wood from the elements that might be carried in on his hiking equipment. One other thing worth noting: we secured the piece to the wall to ensure it wouldn’t fall given the height, but we also put in a false bottom to weight it down with a few bricks to make it stable. In hindsight, it might have been overkill, because it was very stable.
I’m extremely proud of this project. It took me out of my comfort zone on several levels. The customer was very particular and wanted exactly what he wanted. When I would tell him, I don’t know how to make a piece or part stable, he would work with me until we came up with a solution. Additionally, while incorporating the metal was not hard at all, it was something I don’t normally think of, so having someone with a creative mind adding to the beauty was a real joy.
