After a scheduled visit to the home, we agreed to the following:

• Build large shelf for Television, add 1/4″ backing to create TV compartment.
• Divide lower section equally and build two raised-panel doors to fit new openings.
• Build two A/V component shelf units, (1) per side: approx 24″ wide x 20″ deep. (Adjustable)
• Add an open shelf above TV to create ‘built-in’ look and utility.

The brunt of the work for me was prepping the poplar boards and 4′x8′ sheets of birch plywood with oil-based primer and coats of finish paint. The oil-based painting took far more time than estimated and the increased drying time was lengthy.

To the house, I delivered two new lower cabinets with adjustable shelving. The units and shelves, like all other parts, arrived with 3 coats of enamel. I also brought the one large shelf, one smaller shelf with 2″ edging, some 1/4″ backing, pre-painted nailers and a single mullion to complete the cabinet modifications, which took about 4 hours in-house.

I had to order a large cove profile raised-panel router bit from Amazon (overnight) to match the atypical 1 3/4″ raised-panels. With the new doors completed about a week later, pre-drilling for cup hinges made for a 5-minute install.

“Hey Kim..WE LOVE IT!!! It looks wonderful and Chuck thought so, too.”

I was going to title this “The Liberty Cabinets” because my client ripped a page out of a magazine and said: “I want something like this, I trust your sense of style so get to work and make me something nice.” but then I noticed there is a cabinet shop with that title …so welcome to my generic: “Bookshelves around a Fireplace” job.

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Freedom of design, materials, schedule… methods… wow! Sometimes being a carpenter is a dream job for those of us that enjoy the work.
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I started with some measurements of the space and a meeting with the client to go over exactly what she hoped to accomplish and some details of construction. > Built-in cabinets consisting of Adjustable Bookshelves with Deeper cabinets below and a new mantle, everything to be painted white.

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While I was building the cabinets at my shop, I scheduled a plumber to cut the existing baseboard heater shy of the new cabinet location. It took a day to collect the various trim for my idea and another two days to machine and assemble things before I could start the installation.

One of my options was how to make the shelves for a 40″ and 45″ cabinet. Experience shows that 3/4″ shelves just won’t hold up when spanning 42″ without middle support. The client didn’t want a divider in the middle of the bookshelves, Thicker shelves or a built-up edge?

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I chose to rip some poplar to 1 5/16″ for a shelf edge and then applied a nose-and-cove molding. Since the shelves are only 10″ we’ll see if this holds up to the weight of books over time. If not I can laminate 1/2″ to the bottoms in the future since I have the thick shelf edge to hide it.

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Today, a week later, the job is painted, the paint is dry and I’m guessing the shelves are being filled. In lieu of making the custom size raised-panel doors, I ordered them and they should arrive next week.

Since building these cabinets, I have heard nothing but praise for providing something this client has dreamt about having for years. “It completes the room and makes it feel much bigger and brighter. I love the cabinets!”

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I built these cabinets out of birch plywood with a poplar face-frame and piano hinges. All the doors are simple slabs of plywood with no edge treatment. The idea was to get this wall of storage cabinets finished!
After adding an edge to the countertop and a few interior shelves to increase capacity this baby will be ready for paint.

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In the following gallery we can see:

1. Ikea’s “Filler panel” material applied to the wall creates a wall covering and window casing that ties the cabinets together visually.
2. The oven cabinet looks fantastic!
3. As the cabinet installer it is my preference to cut necessary holes for other sub-contractors. A few outlets complete the island before the countertops arrive.
4. Steel angle-iron was bolted to the side of the sink and stovetop cabinets to support the countertop.
5. I made a jig for the hardware installation. All handles are centered and 1 1/2″ from edge of door to top of handle.
6. The toe-kick is all installed.
7. The toe-kick pieces were tricky to install on the island where the position of the Ikea legs don’t allow for one. (The Ikea legs are set back several inches from the front face of the cabinets but only 1″ from the sides.) I cut the tabs off the Ikea legs and pushed them in, to match the front reveal. In addition, I made all the baseboard out of the Ikea filler panels which are 11/16″ thick. I dadoed a groove in the back of each rip to accept the Ikea mounting hardware. In order to fit clips to the corner legs I cut the groove in one board higher than the other piece, so one clip would fit above the other. In this way I got two clips on one leg. Yay!

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There are always so many details that go into a construction project and some projects are more demanding than others. In this case, the homeowner hired an Interior Designer to communicate with their Architect who drew pictures for the Contractor who then hired me to install the parts. Maintaining communication within the entire chain of professionals is paramount to the success of the project and can present a challenge to the process of installation.
I believe it is from years of apprenticeship with Michael C. Hargrove in San Francisco, California that I am able to have the skills, the patience, the fortitude and the abilities to listen, to comprehend and to produce the finished ideal of so much intent. Not only do I maintain the integrity of each professional in the chain but ultimately my work must prove an integrity in my own abilities of construction. Of course it does and that’s how I got this job. The builder and architect on this job provide the highest quality. Their work is awesome fancy and I have thoroughly enjoyed building for them in the past.

I hope this kitchen lasts longer than expected. I have read about Ikea kitchens since starting this project. Ikeafans.com has a poll on how long before problems show but I think only 5 people voted. There are plenty of articles online. There’s a video on YouTube showing someone’s progress as they built their kitchen which oddly enough has the same two walls and single window as the kitchen I just built but the end results are totally different!

Here’s a gallery of images showing the progress. The blue is protective plastic covering the panel, door and drawer faces. The more I build, the more blue this place becomes!

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I am using a combination of Ikea’s 36″ X 96″ Filler Panels, cabinets and deco-strip as material to construct a stove cabinet, built-in sub-zero fridge, microwave cabinet and desk with bookshelf. I will add pictures as I complete the kitchen this week.

Update: Friday Jan. 4th. – I have finished most of the installation. The island is set. The Sub-Zero closet is built. The oven cabinet awaits a reconsideration of the layout of the 3 Gaggenau ovens. Everything looks awesome!

WoodDance Studio 2008

After finishing a basement remodel and some cabinetry work here in Darien, CT. I was called out to Bronxville, NY to build some cabinets for a friend of the clients who noticed my last job.

On certain projects I work with a Contractor, Designer and an Architect. Most often I visit a home and meet with the residents myself, to inspect the location and discuss their desires and the possibilities.
I take that information home, draw up a picture and send it to the client with a price.

For this project I gave two layouts and a few options. The clients chose to eliminate a radiator and build a window seat alongside the bookshelves they required. I built up the boxes in my shop and made certain I had all the pieces before making the long drive toward the city for the installation.
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Remember when I said that I deliver the proposed plans and then we discuss possibilities. Not atypically, it’s how is it possible to make alterations to the price and I do what I can to accomplish everyone’s goals. In this case I was able to shave off $80 dollars by changing from decent hardware to slides that cost $4 each. Even though this change was documented and discussed before the downgrade the client later said “If I knew it meant losing that 4″ of space on each drawer I would have paid the $80.”

I’ve learned that being careful pays but being cheap can sometimes cost you so much more.

To replace them with full-extension hardware would now cost $100 in hardware, 2 hours labor and about 4 hours of driving. How much would you charge? He lived with it and I went away feeling I didn’t do a perfect job. Since this is a backdated post to the time when the job was completed, now five years later, I can see how nice these cabinets really are.

Not to make this entry too long but on every job we learn something. After this project I made several changes to my policies including covering expenses for travel or not accepting work at such a distance and I no longer option cheap hardware. Today, my prices are super-reasonable and nearly double what I charged these folks back in 2003.

I was called by a friend of this client, years later, for a similar task. After explaining there would be a fee for my plan drawings after a visit their NY home they lost interest in my attention and I… breathed a sigh of relief.

WoodDance Studio