2018 Wood Diamond Award

Rivendell Woodworks (Concord, CA)

Main Category: Kitchen
Sub Category: European
Dollar Amount: $25,000 - $50,000

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.

What materials/species were used in this project/item?
All exteriors, including doors, drawer fronts, end panels and appliance panels, as well as interiors behind glass doors, are EchoWood manufactured veneers in faux wenge at the island and floating shelves, and in a vertical grain whitewash veneer called "quartered champagne" at the rest of the cabinetry, over NAUF-MDF with grain-match across adjacent panels wherever possible. All interiors are Columbia PureBond clear acrylic finished maple plywood.
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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 wanted a very modern, sleek styling with unique accents including
upper cabinet doors that were custom assembled from 3/8" brushed aluminum outside frames and satin-etched glass inserts. Special reinforcement of the island backside stone counter overhang was also included.​

List any items that were outsourced.
Upper cabinet doors with aluminum frames were by Element Designs. Clear conversion varnish finish and stone counter tops were by others. Convenience hardware items included among other things the corner LeMans Lazy Susan by Kesseböhmer and the door-mount trash/recycle unit by Rev-a-Shelf.

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, annual conventions, member forums and webinars, and especially this year's 20th Anniversary Conference in Denver, 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.