to move up and down
Crawford Customs
Built Just For You.
A Client had been searching for several years for a hutch to add more storage to her living space. She had been looking for used and salvaged pieces but could not find anything that met her needs. Often these pieces were mildewed and musty, something she didn’t feel like addressing.
Fast forward to January when she and I were able to find a compromise between modern construction and salvaged materials. The Maple of the case work was bought from a supplier who gets their lumber from fallen trees in the Chicago urban forest. The top of the cabinet is a solid glue up using old-growth Fir joists salvaged from a demolition in Chicago.
The goal was to create a beautifully functional cabinet utilizing recycled materials to add character and a story to the piece. Something I think we accomplished with great success!
A client continued renovation in her home this week and commissioned this cabinet for pantry. Matching a previously built wall cabinet and Walnut/Birch prep table, we built a simple base cabinet to address her needs for storage. The top is a butcher block comprised of White Birch and Walnut for added contrast.
The coolest thing about this cabinet is that it completely disassembles and stores flat. I needed to build it this way to get it through the door to pantry and installed correctly. She didn’t want a ‘built-in look’ so this is what I came up with. Once through the door, I can assemble it and put it in place with 1/2” on either side of the wall for clearance. Any attempt to get a fullsize cabinet through the doors would have met with heartbreak. Now it’s going to look like the pantry was built around the cabinet. Fun stuff!
A family in Winnetka needed a small bowfront table for the entry room in their home. The house was built around 1900 and was spectacular. I knew that the table needed to make a statement since it was one of the first things that guests would see as they entered the home. We agreed upon a simple design and I was able to find some really cool wood to make this piece stand out from its competition.
I purchased some spectacular curly Walnut and went to work. The top is heavily figured and bookmatched. The Maple inlay matches the radius of the curved front apron. The legs are tapered on four sides and also have some heavy figure to them. The curved front apron adds the right amount of elegance to a small piece. It stands 32” tall and nests perfectly in the corner of their entryway.
A customer contacted me about a gift for his wife. Having built some things for these wonderful people in the past, I knew this had to be special. He knew that he wanted a wine rack that held 24 bottles and we were able to narrow down a style during our first design meeting. I was able to put my own ‘spin’ on the project by having the case rotate 360 degrees on the base for easy access to each and every bottle in their collection. It’s whisper quiet as well.
The Walnut of the case plays nicely with figured Cherry base that you get a glimpse of anytime you spin the case. The wine rack sits just above 30 inches tall and is about 26 inches wide. George and I were able to make his wife very happy and that’s a win in my book!
