At first glance, this looks like something you’d simply replace with an online order, but the existing cabinet was squeezed between shutoff valves on the left and an external tower style bathtub drain on the right, requiring non-standard dimensions, and the client wanted everything to be plywood (I agree, I hate MDF) and sealed with an oil-based paint, including all edges.
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The ask was twin arched bookshelves to go on either side of a bed, like the following reference photo. Howevere these were to sit on top of some existing nightstands.
We started with a couple ikea bookshelves. I have mixed feeling about this. While I think it can be an excellent timesaver to start with factory-made furniture and customize as you like, I personally dislike chipboard and laminate, and I try to avoid them if given the option. Each material has it’s own vibration, some more pleasant than others. I picked up a bundle of oak molding, wide enough to give me a few options for creating the “shell.”
Read More → Client wanted to match the kitchen to an existing mid-century modern credenza.
BEFORE:
The credenza:
AFTER:
Enclosures out of 3/4 ply with internal structure of metal studs and track, removable covers attached with magnets to studs, access panels for valves.
Start:
Design was by the architecture firm but there’s always a few things I have to figure out.
Read More → This was more of a repair, but the twist took quite a lot of thought. I didn’t want to rip the whole thing apart and rebuild, but the challenge was to not only fix the alignment and attachment of this incredibly heavy cover (3/4″ ply + 3/4″ cabinet doors + baseboard molding!), but ensure that access for anyone who needed to perform future maintenance on the radiator would be easy and safe.
The tricky part was anticipating the correct tilt that would keep the panel balanced on swivel casters, within the limits of the space behind it (which had pipes and electrical), while being easy to snap into place again.
The radiator was off-center in what looked like a temporary housing, and the ask was storage that looked symmetrical.
How do you fit a washer-dryer into a tiny Manhattan bathroom? Once piece at a time.
I poured a custom concrete trough sink with the drain in the back corner so as to open up the room for the washer-dryer to fit underneath. Which then necessitated a custom cabinet to match underneath.
Removing the plywood mold. Concrete mix was white Portland cement with white sand. The trickiest part was cutting things on the angle so the sink would drain properly, and then getting all those subtle angles to line up smoothly.
Patching, sanding, sealing.
Now for the cabinet…
Body & shelves made from 1/2 plywood to save on cost and weight. Edges concealed with iron-on veneer. Doors and facing made of solid pine. Chinese cabinet hardware purchased ebay.
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