Aaron’s Office Credenza

A friend inherited an old walnut desk that was painted white. After refinishing the desk they wanted another piece of furniture to match the desk for an office setting. I determined the desk to be built during the Edwardian period which influenced many of the design factors such as the upper glass doors and the veneered panels on the lower doors. We did choose to back off a few design factors like muntins and escutcheons on the doors as those would have “dated” the piece and not fit the friend’s décor.

The case is solid walnut with usage of poplar as a secondary wood for the drawers and in areas that were not visible to the eye. What made this project so much fun was its use of “firsts” for me in my woodworking experience. The side trim was attached using dovetail keys to account for the solid wood panel movement, the use of veneer on the lower cabinet door panels, shellac as a finish in the internal compartments, and knife hinges. I have built many other pieces of furniture prior to this attempt based on plans in magazines–but never had designed a piece from scratch. I see this project as a testament to value of the online woodworking community as I would have never attempted this project without the resources available on The Wood Whisperer site.

The finish is Mohawk Wiping Stain – Medium Brown with General Finishes Arm-R-Seal gloss and satin in the fashion Marc teaches in his book. I finished the finish with Briwax dark brown wax.

For my first furniture commission this was a very fun and challenging project.