Sometimes the best furniture solution is a custom design.  For example, this china cabinet needed to be a specific width and height, solve both storage and display needs, and live happily with several other very different pieces of furniture.  A perfect opportunity for a custom design!   In the slideshow you can see the entire design and fabrication process, from conceptual sketch to the finished product. 

This piece was created in collaboration with Stroba, Inc.  These guys are truly modern day artisans!

September's Room of the Month is all about creating a place at home for all your fall projects.  Buckle down at either of two complimentary Arts & Crafts style desks or curl up and read a book in our comfortable lounge chair and ottoman.  This room is as functional as it is fun.  With one desk providing ample storage for a computer, printer, and files, and the other providing an open worksurface, you can tackle any sort of project, whether it be for work, school, or play.  Click here to purchase any of the items shown.

We asked Jon Haberman www.jonhaberman.com to tell us about the free edge cabinetry that was recently installed at one of our projects...

In the first design discussion for the cabinetry in the DC apartment that was recently featured in the SPI Blog, Sarah Pak suggested that we consider using a free edge in the wood for the countertops.  I jumped at the idea.  A free edge results when a board is cut from the log in such a way that the outside edge of the tree is left intact.  Boards are not usually cut in this way and can be difficult to find.  I found them for this job at Hearne Hardwoods in Lancaster, PA.

Furniture and cabinetry that utilize a free edge have become increasingly popular.  It can be an acquired taste.  Free edge boards typically have variations in color and figure and knots or blemishes that production furniture makers would reject.  I have become more and more interested in the beauty revealed in these imperfections.  It is great to find clients and collaborators who share this interest.

The first photo is one of the boards that we used for the DC cabinets as it looked when first brought to the shop.  At this stage it has been sawn at the mill into a board of a certain thickness.  Ours were just under two inches thick.  These boards are called "in the rough." Once we have decided which boards will be used where, they are "cross cut" (cut perpendicular to the length of the board). Next they are "dressed" to their final thickness.  In pre-industrial times this was done with hand planes.  We use machines.  Every piece then moves through multiple sanding steps, using finer and finer grit paper.  After a final sanding, the finish is applied, in the case an acrylic lacquer.  This a rewarding part of the process.  The finish brings out the color in the wood and reveals the particulars in the grain.

To start with rough boards and bring them to a state of polish is very satisfying.  There is always something new to be found in the different woods that come in and go out of our shop.

One of our favorite, most versatile pieces of furniture is the accent table.  With a small investment, you can add interest and functionality to a space.  Also, we like to pair furniture pieces made of different materials (i.e. stone/wood/metal) to add depth to a room, and accent tables are an easy way to introduce contrasting materials or pops of color.  With so many choices on the market, you are sure to find accents that fit your budget and design aesthetic.  Here are some of our favorites:

To purchase any of the tables shown here, please visit our Shop page.

Stay tuned for future products!