Saturday, July 28, 2012

Low-profile built-ins (Winter - Spring 2011)




My sister was doing some updates to her living room including pulling up her carpet to reveal some old oak floors and making the switch from a free-standing media cabinet to built-ins flanking the fireplace on both sides.  She had the floors contracted out and finished with a dark stain. The built-ins were left to me.

My sister's direction for the cabinets was that she wanted something low profile and with some sort of "X" design on the doors.  I drew up some specs and dedicated one cabinet to store movies in pull out drawers that remain covered by the outer decorative doors. The other cabinet was divided so that one half could store audio/visual and stereo components, with the other having drawers for storage similar to the cabinet on the other side, only half the size.

For the doors we really wanted the X design to pop, so we decided to build them to have mirrored glass inserts.  Then we went with a clean white latex paint and some acrylic hardware knobs to finish it off.  The pictures of the finished product at the bottom have the stereo, DVD/Blu-ray, and DVR equipment on the left and media storage on the right.

My sister was very pleased with the modern aesthetic of her new cabinets. I may even have to incorporate the style touches to future project designs!



For future projects where a/v and stereo equipment is being stored I would recommend using two-way mirror. This allows remote controls to send signals through the glass without having to leave the door open while still maintaining a clean and stylish look







Monday, May 7, 2012

Storage/Toy Chest (May 6, 2012)


Just finished up this latest project in the basement shop. This storage chest was conceived as a blanket or pillow storage solution for the bottom of the bed, but also designed with safety and style in mind to be used as a toy chest or a stand-alone piece like a coffee table. Enjoy video of the progress below...

- completed 5-6-12


Javi's Tank (July 12, 2010)




- Built for my nephew's 2nd birthday.

Other than finding something fun to play with, I wanted to build something simple, yet challenging, and found both to be true. 

At first glance it looks like a simple shape and wheel base, but look closer and you'll notice that as the front wheels hit the carpet the internal suspension allows the wheel to absorb the bump. 

All three axles have suspension built-in which provides a smooth ride over obstacles and sturdy enough for a toddler to put his weight on it as he pushes it across the living room floor.  

Silver spray paint with black brushed on to give it a distressed (or battle-tested) look. Coated with poly to help protect from the inevitable dings and crashes.