2014 Wood Diamond Award

Main Category: Kitchen
Sub Category: Face Frame
Dollar Amount: Under $25,000

Briefly describe your business and the type of products manufactured.
The Old Country Workshop LLC started in business in August 2010. I build custom kitchen cabinets and fabricate solid surface and wood countertops. I also build custom built in furniture, vanities, and millwork. I like to build one-off pieces of furniture and bedroom sets. I help the customer design the project, build it, finish it, and install in their home or business.

What materials/species were used in this project/item? 
This kitchen is rustic hickory with 1/2″ overlay doors. The finish is a Valspar water-based conversion varnish.

Describe, in detail, the project/item’s construction.
The cabinet boxes were constructed of pre-finished plywood. The homeowner also wanted the dovetailed drawers to be rustic hickory also. I used KV Muv 34 undermount slides and Blum 1/2″ concealed hinges. Both are soft close. I fabricated the Dupont Corian countertops. I had to buy about 100 bd. ft. more lumber to get the right grain patterns for the doors. The homeowner and I designed the cabinets.

What is the most unusual aspect or outstanding characteristic of this entry? 
It had some of the most beautiful rustic hickory I have ever seen. Some of the boards had insect holes with the insects still in them. The homeowner liked that and I finished right over them. He also had me make all of the ceiling beams in the kitchen and his living room and install them.

List any items that were outsourced (not produced by you or your shop).
I made all of the parts and fabricated the countertops, finished them, and installed all of them. I wanted to make them all because I had good lumber to deal with and I wanted the grain at the tops and the bottoms of the doors to line up with the grain. Also I could choose which boards go where. Some of the less pretty boards I used for the face frames. I did buy pre-finished plywood for the cabinets. I did not put the tile on the island.

Please offer a brief explanation of how being a member of the CMA has benefited you and/or your business. 
I like to talk to people and ask alot of questions from some of the most experienced people in the business. It has answered alot of my unknown questions that most other people I talk to won’t give up that kind of info.