Brent wanted more of a "Dieter Rams" look with a walnut and white combo… and his request for alternate feet prompted me to prototype the new adjustable foot option which seems to be working pretty well. Since his are the first feet off the production line, I gave him his choice of wood — he chose walnut for a nice bit of contrast. Brent also wanted the unit a little lower and a little wider than standard to fit a specific space — and of course, custom sizes are no problem.
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This unit — made as a display/prototype — features the new "Neutral" palette with MDF-core panels which make for a less expensive option over the walnut-ply panels. I'm really liking the contrast of the lacquered-MDF against the gloss white and matte black and it might be my new favorite combination.
When assembling this, I was reminded of how nice it is to work with these materials. The MDF — when lacquered — takes on an almost leather-like quality with a slightly galvanized-looking sheen and the maple is wonderfully figured. Unlike birch (also an option) which is nearly grain-less, the maple has all sorts of fun artifacts including wavy grain and a few knots.
I've also been able to better standardize the selection to 11.5in, 14in and 18in deep shelves with 23in wide "bays". This is a 2X2: 2 bays wide and 2 bays high — the most popular option, it seems.
With the neutral color-way, this 11.5 in deep unit will retail for $375 — a good bit less than the original color-way with walnut panels at $425 in the same size.
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David contacted me through the blog (all the way from… Brooklyn) to
place an order for a custom set of shelves — narrow and tall and
maximixed for books.
The unit is 84in high (7 shelves), 34in wide and 13in deep…
specifically made for his space. At 34in wide, the bottom shelves have
extra supports in the middle for super-heavy books. He wanted to keep it
more in the neutral zone, so we minimized the red used in the piece —
in fact, if he gets weary of the red panel, he can flip it for the
walnut side. Once assembled and the panels screwed in tightly, it's
super sturdy.
Next up — creating a crate to keep it in good shape for transit.
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Eszter contacted me through the blog about some new shelves after seeing the prototype we made for the nursery.
What's a bit special about this one is that Eszter is a crazy talented designer here in the Bay Area and it'll be a treat to have these in her space.
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Looking back, this was really one of the first NorCalMod projects — a piece of design-build furniture for a house other than our own.
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(8/29/2011)
This weekend and last, we helped a friend and neighbor, Laura, to build a zebrawood desk. It turned out well, no?
(Lots more pictures after the jump — and click on the pictures for larger, clearer versions)
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