by Violet Althouse, January 24, 2017
Not long before Christmas this past year, Joshua Schmidt of Living Original™ with Schmidt’s Furniture Design Company, LLC, came into the Bailey Wood Products to pick out the perfect piece of Walnut for a cabinet that had been commissioned as a Christmas present. The finished armoire was a surprise for a customer’s wife that was to be delivered to their home on Christmas Eve. Although Josh has been a cabinet and furniture maker for a number of years, it was the first time he had come out to the Bailey Wood Store in search of lumber.
In the planning phase, the client had decided upon a dark wood, with Josh recommending Walnut with a natural finish, rather than a stain. Using a proprietary mixture of boiled linseed oil and turpentine, and a proportionate addition of polyurethane in subsequent coats, the finish ultimately looks hand rubbed. Instead of occluding the grain of the walnut under a dark stain, the wavy grain pattern enhances the finished product with spectacular results.
The lumber that Josh Schmidt ultimately went home with that day, was Curly Walnut Crotch wood that was sawn and planed at the Bailey Shop. The doors were book matched and glued by Josh and the remainder of the cabinet was made from premium grade Walnut, which he purchased elsewhere. The hardware on the door is made from brass and has a pin closure that is reminiscent of oriental furniture design.
The photos of the finished armoire illustrate perfectly how selecting the right piece of wood for a project can greatly enhance the beauty and quality of the finished product that goes well beyond even the highly skilled execution of cabinet making that is evident in this finished piece of furniture.
When Josh arrived with the armoire at the customer’s house on Christmas Eve, the cabinet, which is actually quite large, would not fit through the door of the room for which it was intended. With the permission of the customer, he removed the door jamb and then replaced it after the armoire was in place. Pleased with the final result, the customer said the armoire was never leaving the room anyway, and he intends to commission other pieces to match the armoire. Needless to say, his wife was both delighted and surprised.
If you are interested in having custom designed furniture made for your home or business, please visit www.livingoriginal.com, or contact Joshua Schmidt at 484-274-0320 or Josh@livingoriginal.com. Living Original™ at Schmidt Furniture Design Company, LLC, is located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Bailey Wood Products provides over 50 different species of domestic and exotic hardwood lumbers to woodworkers and contractors all over the United States, and looks forward to partnering with both furniture designers like Josh Schmidt, and other craftsmen. Please feel free to stop in for a look at our current stock of Walnut and other woods. You are welcome to bring your clients with you. If you are looking of something special, please do not hesitate to ask if we can special order it for you.
Please click on Know Your Wood Species: Walnut 101 for more technical info about Walnut.
