2016 Wood Diamond Award
Rivendell Woodworks (Concord, CA)

Main Category: Kitchen
Dollar Amount: Over $50,000
Sub Category: European

Briefly describe your business and the type of products manufactured.
Founded 40 years ago, we are a custom cabinet and millwork manufacturer, specializing in the niche market of high-end residential cabinetry. We follow through with design, computer layouts, construction and installation of our work to ensure the highest quality end product for the discerning client.
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What materials/species were used in this project/item?
All exteriors, including doors, drawer fronts and end panels, as well as floating shelves, undersides of upper cabinets and scribe fillers are slab rift-cut walnut veneered over NAUF-MDF with grain-match across adjacent panels wherever possible. All interiors are Columbia PureBond clear acrylic finished maple plywood and toe kicks are skinned with brushed aluminum veneer.

Describe, in detail, the project/item's construction
The big challenge presented by this project was the integration of cabinetry to unusual wall space and partitions, in particular the wall around which tall cabinetry on the kitchen side integrated with pantry cabinetry on the dining/family room side (first two photos attached), with floating shelves and recess for a flat screen TV and media center. Cutouts on the CNC and subsequent assembly and installation as a result had to be, and were, very precise and exacting.

What is the most unusual aspect or outstanding characteristic of this entry?
The client was seeking a very modern, sleek link, with well-matched rift walnut veneers (all sequence matched from the same batch), tight clearances and clean, crisp corners.

How has being a member of the CMA benefited you and/or your business?
The opportunity to meet with, network and share experiences and insights with other members, at occasional regional meetings as well as at the annual fairs, plus through 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 businesspeople.

List any items that were outsourced.
Clear conversion varnish finish and finished countertops were by others. We refined the preliminary rough architect plans into working computer layouts, cut out and built all casework carcases drawer boxes, doors and drawer fronts, as well as installed the work ourselves.