Author: Chad Womack

Custom Oak Entry Door for Historical House

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Custom Oak  Entry Door for Historical House.

The Custom Oak entry door and flanking sash windows were designed and custom made for a 1905 House located in Traverse  City, Michigan.  The design of the door was based on the existing pair of doors at the front of the house. The doors are part of a new rear entry porch and mudroom designed by Ekocite Architecture of Royal  Oak, MI for this important historic house. The door is 90″ H x 36″ W x  2.25″ thick.

 

Custom Oak entry door

The design of the beveled glass window is based on the existing front door.  The door case is mortise and tenon construction and double panel construction below the lock rail. The exterior panel is rift cut Red  Oak selected for its dimensional stability.  The interior panels are cut and carefully grain matched across the door system from a wide plank of figured Red Oak. The architectural and construction details of the door and sash windows are based on existing millwork in this historical home. The antique mortise door lock that matches the existing front door lock I found in Los Angles Architectural salvage shop.

 

 

Oak Entry Door
Interior door bottom panels cut from a single board and matched across the bottom.
Custom Oak Entry Door
Cornice details match existing millwork in the house

 

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Custom Oak Entry Door
Detail of antique lock

Japanese Low Table in Spalted and Wormy Maple

Japanese Low Table in Spalted and Wormy Maple

Japanese Low Table in Spalted and Wormy Maple.

Japanese Low Table in Spalted and Wormy Maple.  The square center stretcher pierces the Temple Bell-shaped end panels and radiates a diamond tenon with hidden interconnections. The unusual characteristics and discoloration in the wood are caused by a combination of decay and insect damage over a period of time.  The top and end panels are made of three pieces. The larger highly figured center section was selected first and the smaller outside pieces were carefully grained matched into place.

The table dimensions: Length 44″ x Width 15″ x Height 15″

Japanese Low Table in Spalted and Wormy Maple

The table features details taken from early Japanese Architecture. I loved the idea of the center stretcher being square and as it passed thru the end panel and transitions to a diamond on the outside of the piece.  A bit Zen in concept. In tradition western furniture a trestle style table would have an exposed key to lock it in place.  But in this piece, I used a blind dowel rod driven down from the top of the end panel to fasten the stretcher in place.  For more information please enjoy the link from the June 2018  issue of Architectural Digested on Spalted Wood.

 https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/spalted-wood-trend

Japanese Low Table in Spalted and Wormy Maple
Detail of the hidden dowel connection
Japanese Low Table in Spalted and Wormy Maple
The table is shown before finishing.

 

Apothecary Cabinets in Red Oak fitted for media use.

Media Cabinets

Apothecary Cabinets in Red Oak fitted for Media use

Custom Breakfront Cabinet in the center was handmade to match a pair of antique Apothecary cabinets from the early 19c. Originally the antique cabinets were used  Pharmacy in Traverse City, Michigan.  Length 24′ x 9′ in Height. The center cabinet handmade in Red Oak features four glass doors in the top section. The arched rail above the widescreen television was developed from similar but smaller rail in the far left antique cabinet. The lower section features sliding doors on custom hardware that match the vintage cases. The antique cabinets were retrofitted with Douglas Fir beadboard backs along with the new cabinet. The pair of antique cabinets before restoration is shown below.

 

Media Cabinet
Antique cabinets before restoration
Media Cabinets
Detail of Cornice Moulding

Riesener Door Cabinet

Riesener Door Cabinet

The Riesener Door Cabinet is crafted in Cherry solids and Veneers.  The doors feature a solid Ebony inlay.  Walnut herringbone is traced with ebony inlay line is featured on the canted corners. Size 39″L x 19″D x 24″H.

Riesener Door Cabinet

Interior trays with highly figured Red Oak.

Painted Room Divider featuring Stain Glass Windows

 

Painted Room Divider featuring Stain Glass Windows

Painted Room Divider featuring Stain Glass Windows

Painted room divider featuring stain glass windows. The cabinet was designed to create a visual display case for the client and to let light thru to the stairwell behind it.  The windows were selected from their collection of antique stain glass window’s that they had acquired over the years.

The neo-classical style cabinet features a cornice that rests on four columns that are headed by Capitals I designed based on 9c Temple Mayan Temple of Turtles in Yucatan Mexico. The columns are traced with delicate 3/16″ walnut molding.  The Walnut bead moulding was also used to fix the stain glass window’s in place.  The idea of using the walnut was to mimic the lead framing used in the construction of the antique windows.  The cabinet is finished identically on the reverse side.

 

 

Painted Room Divider Featuring Stain Glass windows
Capital design based on the Myan 9c Temple of Turtles

James Wyatt Dressing Tables

                                 James Wyatt Dressing Tables

 

     James Wyatt Dressing Tables

A pair of hand painted & water gilt dressing tables in the style of the  18c English Architect James Wyatt. The cabinets feature fitted interiors in Cuban Mahogany and dyed black deerskin. The center drawer pulls out for a Neo-Classic Temple in exotic wood to rise from the interior of the center compartment. The temple was based on the design of the garden temple of Heveningham Hall in Suffolk England.  The end compartments feature unique quadrant pivoting drawers. The decoration of the painted ornament decoration was inspired by the ornamental decorations and drawings of James Wyatt

 

Scale working drawing for the pair of Dressing Tables
Scale working drawing for the pair of Dressing Tables

 

Revised Wyatt Front View
Temple in the closed position

 

Wyatt Dressing Table
Detail of the top center panel of the dressing table.

 

Wyatt Dressing Table
Beautiful quadrant drawers in various stages