When designing your custom bookcases with you, we want to be sure that your project will meet both your functional needs as well as your stylistic requirements. We start by determining your functional needs, followed by choosing an overall style / look and feel. We combine these elements with your space to determine the physical layout of your project, and finally we choose the details for the project to give you the perfect look, feel and function for your home.
We first want to determine your functional needs and how you plan to use your new bookcases beyond beautifying your home. We want to determine if you will need File Storage, Media Storage, To Display or Hide a TV, to put items on display, Electronics Storage, a Workspace, Book Storage, Enclosed Storage. We can then incorporate those functional needs into the design.
Once we know what purpose your custom bookcase project will serve, we want to determine the general look and feel, or style, of your project. This is influenced primarily by your tastes and the general style you have, or are looking to achieve, in your space in your home. Below are several examples of some general styles, but remember that each project is custom designed for your tastes and your space, and we will be sure to work with you to design your project with all details that work best for you. If you haven't yet taken a look at our portfolio, you will find hundreds of projects, each one custom designed.
With clean lines and minimal detail perhaps raised panel doors, traditional styled moldings add nice detail without being "too much" this style ideal for a clean look with an emphasis on the form. With some slight changes including perhaps a cove style crown molding and a mitered door style this look works great for a simple transitional look as well. Click on any image to see more detail.
With a few more details, such as fluted or beaded columns, and a arch or valence, along with traditional styled moldings, this style works well with nearly any traditionally styled space. Click on any image to see more detail.
This style has a traditional look with lots of details. Fluted columns, with carved or molded capitals, arches with or without a keystone, and traditional or more ornate moldings. Click on any image to see more detail.
This style is defined by clean lines and smooth surfaces. There are no carvings or adornment and the doors, and moldings are very clean and modern. Light, clear grained, naturally finished wood or a clean paint color finish this style off. Click on any image to see more detail.
We are a custom shop, and you aren't limited to any particular style. These pieces are examples of projects where we worked with a client to give them exactly what they were looking for. Click on any image to see more detail.
With the function and style in mind, we will then look at your space with you to determine the best layout. How many walls, or how much of the wall will your bookcase project cover? How wide do you want your shelves to be, and how deep? How many bookcase units can fit and which option is best? Where might you want a workstation to be, or where are your files best stored? Don't worry, we've "seen it all" and will help you answer all of these questions so that your bookcases will be the perfect combination of form and function for you. Below is a simple illustration of two layouts for the same room.
During the final step of the design process we will choose the details that finish off the look of your project. This includes the specific trim moldings, to match or compliment your existing trim, column styles, door styles, carvings, lighting, and hardware. We will also work with you to choose a finish type and color to complete the look.
We have developed our own proprietary finishing process to deliver rich, deep stain colors, with a durable, environmentally safe, protective finish.
When a glazed look is chosen our finishing specialist artistically applies a glaze to enhance the depth and character of your project.
Once the design of your project is finalized, it is engineered down to the smallest components. The proper materials and hardware are chosen. Precise Shop drawings are produced using CAD software. Specifications are developed for each part and the drawings and specifications are double checked and then turned over to our specialists in the shop so that we may begin crafting your custom bookcase project.
Traditional face frame construction is used in the construction of our cabinets because it provides additional strength and stability over frameless cabinet construction. The face frames are attached to the case with hidden screws and glue for strength and beauty. There are no fasteners visible and the cabinet is exceptionally strong as a result of the all screw construction.
Our shelves are 1" thick, all wood veneer sheet stock. They are 33-100% thicker than industry standards for cabinet shelves, dimensionally stable and very sag resistant for even the most demanding loads. The fronts of our shelves are reinforced with ¾" thick solid wood that is custom milled in our shop with a beautiful profile. This is really nice accent over a typical square edge shelf. Shelves that are wider or anticipate a heavier load are reinforced with one or more decorative supports. Our shelves are so strong; we were able to park a car on them
Once all the parts are cut, milled and assembled, they are carefully sanded and inspected under a careful eye before finishing.
