2013 Wood Diamond Award

Category – Entertainment Center Face Frame Under $25K

Project Description – Most of the production for this project was pretty straight forward, using our standard processes. The exceptions to this were portions of the arched trim, which were glue laminated, using forms made from MDF, and finding a way to get cooling air for the audio equipment out of the cabinets.
I usually vent equipment by bringing cooling air in through hidden toe kick vents and exhaust it through custom wood grilles made in-house. These grilles are usually installed in a wood countertop or cabinet exterior side. In this case, however, there was not any free countertop space available and the entire unit was built completely into the wall. The attached .pdf file (the original approval set sent to the architect, GC and homeowner) shows on sheets 2 and 4 how cooling air is exhausted through the sides of the cabinets and eventually returns back into the room via hidden strip vents along the top arch.

Unusual Aspects – The architect for this project really likes to design built-in furniture, rather than simple cabinetry. Her projects are invariably face frame with flush inset doors. Stiles that extend to the floor like furniture legs are typical of her detailing.
The proportions of the doors hiding the TV were critical to the balance of this design. In order to achieve the architect’s desired results, we used three doors. In order to make this work, the door to the left of the TV opens and retracts into a pocket, while the center and right doors fold together on bifold hinges, then retract into their pocket on the right. Additionally, drilling for adjustable shelves was carefully laid out to allow adjustable shelving to be on module with fixed shelving and door mullions to line up with that layout as well, to avoid a mish mosh of misaligned horizontal lines.
The thin, slightly tapered legs on the end units, carefully laid out shelving and doors, and the sweeping top arch combine to make this elegant piece the subtle center of attention at the end of this family/living room.

Why I like the CMA – Being a member of recognized trade organizations lends an air of professionalism to my company. It lets potential customers know that I am a professional, take my business seriously and plan to be around for a while.
In particular, participating in the CMA forums has been quite helpful over my years of membership. In reality, I don’t get a chance to participate as much as I would like, but when I have, it has been great, whether to help solve some problem in the shop, or to discuss various business issues.