Twin Chest of Drawers
A matching pair
Private clients seeking bespoke furniture make a considered investment that lasts a lifetime. A young couple commissioned Frank's services to design and construct a chest of drawers, and it was decided that a matching pair would be made. Very high-quality materials were used alongside a simple design that is expertly and beautifully crafted.
Background
The initial brief from these clients was for bedroom furniture. Frank’s design process is collaborative and highly client-focused. Client input can vary based on their comfort level. In this case, the clients had a very clear idea of what they wanted. Small drawings are used to resolve design elements, shapes, and proportions. Gradually, a refined design is developed. This design is then drawn up as a full-scale layout.
Exposed dovetails are used to join the cabinets together. They are marked out and cut with engineered precision.
Chopping out dovetails is a repetitive and laborious process. They require accurate marking out and need to be cut in the correct sequence.
Process
These cabinets are made exclusively out of solid timber. American white oak is the primary timber. Oak is hard wearing timber nicely figured with a deep strong grain. It is quite light in colour when freshly cut but ages to a nice rich straw colour.
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Good quality Oak is readily available. The imported Oak is dried locally to achieve a moisture content suitable to our Brisbane climate.
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The select grade Oak is purchased as roughly sawn boards. These boards are sorted and selected for the different components.
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The sorted boards are then machined up and edge joined. These boards make up the primary components for the chests, the gables, tops and bottoms.
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The tops and bottoms are dovetailed together to make up the cabinet carcasses.
- The blades, (the horizontal timbers that run between the drawers) are dovetailed into a housing joint which also accepts the drawer runners. The drawer runners are not permanently glued in place, rather they are secured to allow for timber movement.
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The drawer fronts are veneered with Brazilian Rosewood. The grain is carefully matched.
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The solid Oak base has a black Japanned finish.
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Frank has achieved a beautiful finish on these pieces. The drawer fronts have a full bodied French polished finish, which contrasts and compliments the matt finish on the Oak.
The photo above shows the construction process for the blades and drawer runners. The drawer blades fit into a sliding dovetailed housing joint.
The Oak drawer runners locate into a housing joint, holding them securely in place but also allowing timber movement.
The Brazilian Rosewood veneer on the drawer fronts was very carefully aligned and matched. The two chests can be placed together with a continuous pattern across the front.
The finish on these pieces beautifully contrasts and highlights the different textures and colours. The drawer fronts have a French Polished finish contrasting the matt finish on the Oak.
This is a beautifully crafted modern piece of furniture. Although Frank is steeped in a traditional approach to furniture making, he is stylistically agnostic and believes that the quality of a piece comes from the commitment to the making process and a genuine love for the craft.
Outcome
Frank has a passionate commitment to the art and craft of furniture making and always strives to create pieces to the highest possible standard. The clients were very happy with their furniture and display it proudly in their home. Hopefully, these stunning pieces will be used and enjoyed for generations to come.
We commissioned Frank van Brunschot to custom make some very special pieces for our home. Frank worked closely with us to work out a beautiful design. He is a very skilled craftsman and did an excellent job making our furniture.
Paul
Brisbane