Sideboard Design

[Dave Richards]

Alright, here's a design related question. I've been searching for ideas for a sideboard for our dining room. The cherry Amana Furniture Factory sideboard we have is too small and I've been wanting to build one anyway. Yesterday I found one that inspired me to design something similar. My version is drawn 86" long and 38" high. The original is the same length but only 27 1/2" high.

The original is made of "ancient, mature" spruce. I'm thinking ash, maple or cherry.

Thoughts?

[Darren Wright]

A red blouse would more complement the piece.



Actually that is a very cool piece. I like the flip down door. Assuming this was strong enough to support as a shelf for shuffling stuff, it would work very well. Every year for xmas I have to pull my wife's dishes out of our china cabinet. It's always a pain since she has other dishes in front of them.

[Art Mulder]

I've never had a real sideboard... is there some practical reason for the flip-down front? I'd be inclined to put in a drawer instead, for less bending/crouching. It just seems low - the original one also.

And I'm a big fan of contrasting wood, so with your design I might use cherry or walnut for the face on the small drawers. Or, Hmmmm, lacewood?

[Dave Richards]

The sideboard we have now is 52" wide. It has one full width drawer and two half width drawers. The full width drawer is kind of a pain because it is too wide for its depth. The lower part of the current piece has two door and to get into it, you have to get down on your knees.

I figure with supports such as you can see on the original, at least you would have a place to slide some dishes out to get at others that get pushed to the back.

I like the contrasting wood idea for the drawer fronts, Art.

Darren, I'll see what I can do about the blouse.

[Frank Townend]

Nice design Dave. If I 'read' your drawing correctly it seems the upper drop-down leaf is smaller than the bottom and I like that detail.

[Dave Richards]

Thank you Frank,

Yes, the top is about 2/3 the bottom in height.

[Chris Mire]

hey dave, i really like the inspiration piece, i cannot see your design, it isn't showing up on my screen, maybe because i am at work. i will try when i get home.

so my main question is, do you plan to do the dovetail joint between the top and sides. that is really cool and something you hardly ever see.

i think the flip down door is cool, i wanted to do so flip up doors in my kitchen but since my wife is kinda short we decided not to. i think you can get supports like that that can hold a fair amount of weight.

chris

[Dave Richards]

Hi Chris,

Yes, I'll do dovetails on this piece. Actually, I've designed a narrower but taller companion piece to go along with the sideboard and assuming I get the okee dokee from SWMBO, I'll build both pieces at the same time.

[Dave Richards]

Chris, perhaps you can see these?

I added a pine material and a couple of these show the companion piece.

[Art Mulder]

I'm still thinking red blouse though...