Saturday, May 6, 2017

Specialty Office Furniture: Custom Built Library Bookcases

In this recent work, I designed and built library bookcases as a specialty office furniture where a computer resides and file drawers are built into the cabinets, along with a place for a printer, and office desk area. The owner then adds some features, a glass top is being built for the desk area, and the design is surrounding a unique wall hanging photo that is framed with additional lighting.

© Florida Craftwood
The photo above is taken from outside the room which has two glass openings built into the wall, here one in the foyer, and above the desk area to the right.

© Florida Craftwood
The cabinets were built out of solid birch and utilizing birch plywood, then were stained with red mahogany mixed with ebony attempting to darken the color which matches the floor.

© Florida Craftwood
The room is rather small about 11 feet by 11 feet in diameter, so it was difficult to get the right lighting without additional lights to see the cabinets . The center section with the bookshelves has a section at the bottom where a shelf is built in that has a back and sides. The counter top is seamed in front of the pilaster in the center of the photo above.

© Florida Craftwood
All the shelves are adjustable and faced with a rounded top edge; the switch to the lights has a dimer behind the pilaster to the left. The doors and drawers are inset with soft-close Blum hinges, and the pilasters are fluted.

© Florida Craftwood
A two-part crown moulding is added to the top, while basebaord and shoe moulding is added at the base, both wrapping the pilasters. The finish is a sprayed on sealer which is sanded and satin lacquer.

The four drawers left are all file drawers and the desk has one file drawer at the bottom. The center cabinets has storage left, and a pull-out for the printer right. Special wire chutes are built into the upper part of the base cabinets to feed computer and electrical wires.