Furniture
I’ve been making stuff for the house since we moved in over two decades ago. My style is predominantly inspired by Shaker furniture - I appreciate the clean lines and emphasis on functionality - but I’m incorporating a post-modern twist to newer designs. I hope you can see the progression of skill throughout the years. Please forgive the quality of the older photos. I never assumed I’d have a webpage for this stuff.
Bedframe (2016, 2021)
Poplar with birch plywood
First version was made in 2016 for an extended toddler mattress. When we redid the second floor, it was upgraded to a twin size. My daughter is an avid reader, so there’s plenty of book storage.
Bedframe (2021)
Cherry with birch plywood and framing lumber
Made for my son. We had work done in the house and I was obsessed with framing so the bones of this are dimensional lumber. Pedestal is plywood exterior and the top is cherry. Thing’s built like a brick shithouse.
Bedframe (2024)
Cherry with poplar plywood and framing lumber.
The client saw the bedframe I made for my son and requested one. While the end result is similar to the original piece, there were a couple of tweaks to the design. I altered how the base was constructed so it’s a lighter and the top half (including headboard) can be disassembled without the need for tools. These type of subtle changes make it easier for transportation without sacrificing the “built like a brick shithouse” ethos.
Breakfast Bar (2020)
Poplar and beech
Originally a full-size table bought from Economy Hardware in Boston. I converted this to a smaller breakfast bar after we had the kitchen redone in 2020. Had a slew of leftover poplar, so I went with the tried and true paint-n-finish combo.
Coffee Table and Side Tables (2017)
Pine
I had taken a good chunk of time off from woodworking when I was knee deep in pseudo rock criticism and learning how to be a parent. The coffee table was supposed to be a standalone piece but I was happy enough with the results to make two side tables to go with.
Console Table (2017)
Pine and poplar
The first iteration was terrible, save for the top. So I rebuilt it in 2017. Made the legs with the plunge router, which was a Very Difficult Thing To Do.
Console Table (2019)
Red oak
For my mother. I had a couple of planks of 20-year old red oak from Ye Olde Big Box Store up in the rafters of the shop, so I used them and some balusters (no lathe, so I improvised) to make this console table.
Desk (2010)
Maple with birch plywood
I’m typing from this very desk right now. I love it. But apparently not enough to take more than just one picture.
Poplar with birch plywood
Quarnatine times call for quarantine desks! Made for my son from poplar and plywood. It was this project that made me realize I should start milling my own lumber and not deal with Ye Olde Big Box store. Still, it’s a beautiful piece that turned out better than expected (although my drawer work wasn’t quite 100%). The only downside is that my kid is growing like a weed and has a massive gaming system so he’s already cramped for space.
Desk (2020)
Walnut with birch plywood.
The prior desk I made was good but represents the last of the “I’m going to the Big Box Store and seeing what I can use to make something” era. When my son outgrew it, the original plan was to simply modify the desk by raising it an inch or two and building a new tabletop. Problem was, I couldn’t envision anything that didn’t look like crap. Besides, I had a stack of rustic walnut asking to be used. I based the design off of the mid-century protractor desk, with each side angled at 4 degrees. The drawers, also angled on one side, were originally supposed to be white oak, but I whiffed on the measuring and pivoted to birch plywood. To class them up, I topped them off with 1/4” strips of walnut. Between that and the bookmatching on the cabinet and drawers, this turned out pretty amazing. In honor of the recipient, I’m naming it after him.
Desk - "The Davis" (2024)
Walnut with white oak.
The companion piece to the loft bed and dresser made earlier in December 2024. The original plan followed the other desks I’ve built but I struggled with a design that worked with the restricted footprint (again, small room that didn’t need to look any smaller). Then winter rolled around and I knew there was no way in hell I was going to be able to make a cabinet with a full set of drawers before Christmas, so I pivoted to this minimalist design. Had some leftover white oak so it was a treat (for me) to use hardwood for the drawer instead of the usual birch plywood.
In the end, I think this works out better. The room still doesn’t looked cramped, which is an accomplishment for one that’s less than 100 square feet. May change my mind come springtime, but for now, this is an excellent cap to a busy year.
Desk (2024)
Maple and pine with birch plywood
I made the CD cabinet and thought, “If I can make one box, surely I can make a series of boxes!” and off I went on this fool’s errand. Maple with pine for the panels (don’t ask) and plywood in less places than you’d guess. There are flaws - oh so many - and I was thinking about rebuilding them when the second floor bathroom flooded the kitchen. We had a limited timeframe so I opted to sanding them down and repainting them. Shame to cover up the maple, but they look much better refinished. Even though the stiles are way too narrow and drive me nuts every time I look at them.
Kitchen Cabinets (2002, 2020)
Walnut with framing lumber, birch plywood, and reclaimed cedar.
Living in a smaller house poses all sorts of challenges. The 2021 second floor renovation gave our daughter a larger bedroom, but “larger” is relative to what it was. Her previous bed still had ample storage for books but didn’t mesh well with the space - things kept falling between the bed and the wall and there was barely enough open floor space. So I designed and built this combination loft bed and dresser. It’s tall enough that she can hang out under the bed or have a friend sleep over without feeling like they’re trapped in a veal fattening pen, but she can also sit up in her bed without bonking her head on the ceiling. The dresser is roughly the same dimension as the IKEA model that we bought when she was born (credit where credit is due: the Hemnes dresser withstood the test of time) but has an extra drawer, which is currently missing a knob, and doesn’t swallow up the room.
Some notes:
The two cedar beams supporting the bedframe were salvaged from the bed I had growing up. My father had built them, so it’s good to keep them in the family. Unlike him, I did not hand cut the notches.
The original intent was to use walnut plywood for the dresser but the since only a 12” x 26” section would be visible, that seemed pricy and extravagant. Instead, I mixed walnut and cherry finish to match the walnut on hand and got a decent enough match that I wrote down the ratio.
Attaching 2x6s to a mansard roof where the studs are not 16” on center is not for the faint of heart.
Still some work to do - I owe her a narrow bookcase on the backside of the dresser, a desk, and some shelves - but it’s early December and getting too cold outside for projects. But I’m very proud of this work, and super pleased that my client loves the results.
Loft Bed and Dresser (2024)
Walnut with birch plywood
The tricky thing about living in a mansard colonial is that two out of the four walls in each second floor room is at a 12 degree angle. Hanging pictures and shelves requires creative solutions. Years back, I made a similar type of shelving unit for the daughter’s then-bedroom (now the bathroom that boasts of the sweet looking vanity below). That first unit was banged out with leftover plywood and the endless poplar cutoffs I’m finding in the shop, and made to be flush against two mansard walls. It worked out great but was only usable when against an angled wall on the right side of the piece.
For this one, I wanted to make sure it would be usable on any exterior wall (and let’s be honest, not have to deal with too much fuzzy math) and compliment the bed I made two years prior. There are some slight screw-ups here and there but nothing that can’t be hidden with books and anime figurines. If I learned anything from this, it would be that if you’re going to hang something heavy on a wall that does not have studs 16” on center, use French cleats. Holy crap, this was a pain in the ass to install.
Mansard Shelves (2023)
Original version
Red oak
The first piece I ever built (not including wooden guns when I was a wayward youth). I had a ton of CDs and no place to put them and I had no idea how to go about finding a craftsman to build me something and I assumed I couldn’t afford one anyway. So off to Ye Olde Big Box store to buy some power tools and some lumber. “Oak looks nice,” I thought to myself, having zero idea about hard wood versus soft. But this turned out just about perfect. Gifted to a friend back in 2021.
Obsolete Media Cabinet (2000)
Rolling Cabinet (2017)
Poplar with birch plywood
I was on a roll with poplar and plywood furniture for a spell. This piece replaced an antique sewing table that looked fancy but did nothing for storage. Simple cabinet on casters but it turned out exactly how I wanted it. Shown here before and after the kitchen renovation.
Side Table (2002)
Red oak
A gift for my brother. I reused the style of joinery when I made my son’s first desk. It was a lot easier the second time around. Not sure what I was doing with the angled corners but it adds charm. Maybe.
Maple, walnut and birch plywood
A commission! If there’s an inflection point in my work, it would be with this piece. Prior to this build, I had been content to making do with whatever Ye Olde Big Box Store had to offer but since I had a paying client and an itch to better my skills, I played around with better woods. Got very lucky with the spalted maple for the top. Wish I could find more of it.
Stereo Cabinet (2020)
Vanity (2021)
Poplar with birch plywood
The first vanity I built was kinda whack. So when we renovated the second floor, I had to avenge myself. Was hoping to do something with maple or walnut but got talked into another poplar n plywood job. I have no complaints.
