Moms Entertainment Unit

[Darnell Hagen]

This has been a long time coming. Four years ago my folks did a renovation on their house. They purchased new living room furniture to go with the new flooring, paint, and drapes. At that time I built them a pair of end tables and a coffee table, and promised them an entertainment unit. Other projects got in the way, and years passed. I finally got on it, this spring I built and two weekends ago delivered the unit.

It's walnut, stained with Watco that I custom tinted with black and red long oil dyes, and shot with two coats of lacquer. The shelves are all adjustable, and the middle drawer stops short of the back, to allow for a hidden power bar. Mortise and tenon joinery throughout, including the face frames and doors. Wires exit out the bottom to keep the back suitable for exposure.

The two freestanding bookcases have bookmatched framework, and because the tops can be seen by tall people I wrapped the crown molding around a panel to keep the look clean.

Little touches make the difference between factory and bespoke furniture, here I used leftover molding as a magnet block.

Mom was pleased. There will be pulls on the doors and drawer once she selects them.

[duckkisser]

very nice looks to be well built. i think you should make a set of pulls maybe by turning or just make in shop.......personally i like a lot of contrast and dramatic touches for example im making a small keepsake box with spalted maple panels and quarter sawn oak frame so the oak grain is very strain and very small almost none existent.

[Darnell Hagen]

The pulls will be in a pewter finish to pick up on the hinges. I had a period where I liked high contrast myself, but now I strive to make tasteful furniture that makes it's statement through form and grain pattern. I prefer subtle complement and find dramatic contrast a little tacky,