A different variant on our typical CSSU ready for the outdoors. Made with weather resistant, marine-grade mahogany multi-ply, exterior-grade Eichler-specific siding, and rust-proof aluminum and stainless steel, this one can withstand the elements.
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At 8ft X 8ft, this is the largest and most ambitious build to date — and also the largest I can make a CSSU based on existing stock limitations… and, come to discover, workshop-space limitations. Made of
Made from maple multi-ply and luan-mahogany, it's a 3-bay unit with individual, custom flip-down desks. There's loads of great grain alignment and minimal details — it's pretty bad-ass. Next up — a library ladder to attach up top.
Finished installation:
[The three center desks are designed to flip up into the body of the cabinet when not in use. You can flip each up/down independently and are held up by internal magnets embedded in each desktop.]
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Rafe contacted me from Canada needing record album storage. We got this built, packed, and shipped to Vancouver with no problems whatsoever. We designed it to be a bit taller than the typical LP2 for underneath storage.
I've been remiss updating things and I've got a few to catch up on. First up, Nate's record console — a birch and white-melamine cabinet which is a bit of a structural departure from the typical CSSU faire. At 80in wide, it's a large one — and it features birch sliding doors and walnut accents. The interior is drilled for easy cable management and we added a pair of white doors for fun — he can swap from birch to white if the mood strikes.
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We tackled Stephan's media center a few months ago and from there, we began to do more — and more. From the initial media center to a console table, a coffee table, and a set of brutalist shelves, the projects have been both varied and fun. Stephan is a musician and lives in the Mission District in an immaculately restored Victorian — every detail is considered from the hinges to the faucets and it's been a thrill to contribute to the project. He's a fan of contrasts — between lights and darks, rough and polished — and humble materials handled with a deft hand. This is where we come in.
[In this shot, you can see the shelving, the coffee table and just a corner of the media center]
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Karen commissioned these a while ago and has been very patient while project after project snuck into the workshop ahead of these … but with the never-before installed drawers, I warned her that it might take a while before I felt they were "just right" (and she probably forgot my measure of perfection when coupled with an extended timeline would /really/ extend the timeline). Nonetheless, they're completed and ready to find a new home. They turned out well.
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Stephan is a good friend of Mary and called me about a few projects for his beautiful Victorian restoration in San Francisco's Mission District. Typically modern/minimal furniture can be an odd fit for a Victorian home, but a just a few steps into his home, you get the idea: "high-meets-low" was one way Mary described it. Meticulous attention to detail using a combination of traditional and very unexpected materials is another way to look at it, but no matter the definition— it's fantastic. Getting the opportunity to make a few pieces for his home is great fun. Not often do you get a client who wants ACX plywood made into furniture.
I'm headed out for the install in a few minutes, but here are some preliminary shots of the media center in the workshop. The paperstone top and shoji-doors are a temporary material. We're looking at raw steel as the final material, but needed these for fit (and to make it useful).
[update: "after" shots after the jump]
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Mary needed a pair of shelves for her new office… she now has some!
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In order to test both the new material choice and the new design option, I made up these two charming little bench-cabinets. They are 17-18in tall — bench height — and serve as both seating as well as storage. And they're for sale… $250 for the set (a significant discount for the prototypes). Imagine these by the door or bed (shoes, etc.) …
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Along with the addition of the Composite Shelf Veneer, we've added the option of integrated door guides into the design of the CSSU. Previously, doors have been added via a rail system on the face of the units. Both have their charms, but with the additional thickness that the veneer adds, making channels into the shelves themselves becomes more of an option.
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