2015 Wood Diamond Award

Main Category: Kitchen
Sub Category: Creative Solution
Dollar Amount: Over $25,000

What materials/species were used in this project/item?
All lower and tall cabinet exteriors, including doors, drawer fronts, end panels and scribe fillers are Paldao (from New Guinea) veneered over NAUF-MDF with grain-match across adjacent panels wherever possible. All lower and tall cabinet interiors are Columbia PureBond clear acrylic finished maple plywood. Upper cabinets are built from brushed aluminum veneered panels, with custom aluminum framed doors by Element Designs

Describe, in detail, the project/item’s construction.
We laid out this project in our Microvellum AutoCad program had it cut out on our Weeke CNC router, ensuring speed, efficiency and most especially accuracy to our production process. Nevertheless, there were custom details that required hands-on craftsmanship executed by our expert woodworkers.

What is the most unusual aspect or outstanding characteristic of this entry?
The client was seeking a very modern, sleek look, with horizontal-grain Paldao veneers, tight clearances and clean, crisp miter-folded corners ensuring consistent grain match across adjacent panels and around corners. The cabinetry hugged the non-standard angles of the house with oblique and acute inside angles. There was a mix of different details addressed needing exacting construction to blend them together into a unified whole.

List any items that were outsourced.
Custom chosen and laid out Paldao veneers were by Exotic Hardwoods of Oakland, CA. Aluminum veneered panels were laid up by Charles McMurray Company in Sacramento CA. Upper cabinet doors, with aluminum frames and back-painted tempered glass panels were by Element Designs. Clear conversion varnish finish was by Cabinet Coats of Concord CA. Stone counter tops and door pulls were by others. Convenience hardware items, such as the corner lazy Susan and door-mount trash/recycle units were by Revashelf.

How has being a member of the CMA benefited you and/or your business.
The opportunity to meet with and share experiences and insights with other members, at occasional regional meetings as well as at the annual fairs, plus through the member forums and webinars, is extremely valuable. We are all a collection of like-minded professionals keyed on the mutual goal of becoming better woodworkers and successful business people.