My Work
is based on bringing other’s ideas to life. I get to know my clients to understand what they want. It’s imperative that the final result is a special piece that they couldn’t get anywhere else.
Featured Project
Casegoods:
Liquor Cabinet
OBJECTIVE: to create a large, attractive liquor cabinet to house a large variety of beverages for homeowner.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- The cabinet had to fit into a specific alcove in client’s condo.
- It needed to have a serving area/bar
- A wine refrigerator was to be included, and it must be accessible without opening the entire cabinet.
- Must have interior lighting.
- A hidden storage area for “the good stuff”
- A wine rack
- Lockable door
- The client was a Georgia Tech alumni, so a subtle nod to the Yellow Jackets is incorporated. (Hexagonal shapes show up in the wine rack and other rack areas representing yellow jacket nests.)
MATERIALS:
- ¾” thick Baltic birch plywood.
- ¾” thick maple plywood.
- Walnut solids.
- Maple solids.
- Bird’s eye maple veneer.
UNIQUE PROBLEM SOLVING:
To design and build a piece of this size (7.5’ tall by 50” wide and weight of 350 pounds) required a lot of planning and thought of the structure. The main case was designed as 2 cabinets (an upper and lower) and the door was removable. ¾” thick Baltic birch plywood was used for the wine rack and door racks. Maple plywood was used for the main cabinet. Walnut solids were used as trim on the outside of the cabinet and door, while bird’s eye maple veneer was used in the door and side panels to dress up the exterior.
The wine rack itself was an interesting feature, in that it needed to pull out once loaded with nearly 100 pounds of wine bottles. A set of secret shelves are hidden behind the wine rack.
The wine refrigerator also provided an interesting feature.. to have a door within a door to expose the fridge door. With the main door closed, it is still possible to open the lower right panel of the main door to expose the fridge door.
Since there was a desire to have a serving area, it was ultimately decided to have a swing out bar ledge. This necessitated having a folding leg that disappears into the bottom of the bar itself. The bottom of the upper cabinet and the top of the lower cabinet hold a very large hinge pin that the bar pivots on.
The main door, given its size and contents weighed nearly 180 pounds empty. This required the use of heavy duty door hinges and even a caster that is hidden behind the trim at the bottom of the door. This helps support the weight of the door so that it can swing easily without causing the main cabinet to twist or tip.
The construction of the piece was completed using a variety of tools as required. The main body and all of the wine rack and door racks were cut on the CNC router for precision shaping. The walnut and veneer were shaped with traditional power tools and hand tools.
“Alan’s work fulfilled the vision I’d had for years. After searching countless commercial options, I gave up on owning my dream bar cabinet; the piece I wanted simply didn’t exist.
Fortunately for me, I saw Alan featured in a Georgia Tech magazine celebrating good design, and I reached out immediately.
Working with Alan could not have been easier. He was personable, creative, and excited to tackle something new. Alan transformed my vague wish list into a stunning piece where every detail is perfect. I cannot recommend him highly enough.”
~ Scott Spencer, Atlanta, GA | Project: Liquor Cabinet
More Featured Projects
...because what you want doesn't exist....yet.