A New trend

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Location
Houston, Texas
Hello,
I am noticing a new trend with the infusion of flat panel TV's into the market.
For the last 4 or 5 years I have been doing a lot of large entertainment centers, they averaged about 9-11 feet wide and 7'6" to 9' tall.
Lately folks have been buying the flat panel and if they have a large entertainment center I have been adding a plywood filler about 7" back from the face of the stiles, in the hole where the old, deep tv was. They mount brackets upon this plywood and hang the new flat panel. That is not the trend.:rofl: Had you at Hello :rofl:
The trend I am noticing is this..Folks are hanging the flat panel on the wall and having me build a console below for the components. This can be more furniture like and thus more expensive, but, if they can afford a flat panel they can afford me.:D Just throwing this out to someone looking for a niche market.:wave: HELLO...
Shaz
 
Yes. Been noticing this.
The whole house cabinet job I am working on, they are going to mount theirs flush on the wall above the fireplace mantel. [If I ever get it built:eek: ]
 
Yes. Been noticing this.
The whole house cabinet job I am working on, they are going to mount theirs flush on the wall above the fireplace mantel. [If I ever get it built:eek: ]
Hi Steve,
You will get it built and it will be knock down gorgeous, I guarantee!!!!!:thumb:
Nice work on the staining at your house, I will come over to your thread to comment later, say hi to your right hand Woman:eek: , you know, the Stain and Spray Meistro:D ...
Shaz
 
Shaz,
funny you should mention that. I'm in the process of re-evaluating my career choices, and I've just about come to the conclusion that being in management sucks, I want to work for myself instead. I am seriously considering relocating to a better part of the country and finding a nine to five job, and starting up a custom cabinet/furniture shop on the side. Thanks for the great tip, the area I'm looking at has a pretty good economy right now, and I'm sure there will be some DINKS and other Yuppies who will appreciate fine built ins and the like. Cool idea.
 
Shaz,
funny you should mention that. I'm in the process of re-evaluating my career choices, and I've just about come to the conclusion that being in management sucks. .
Yep, I think that it probably does. That's why I never went into management and always remained a "techie". I found that a tecnical person had far more opportunties, especially when companies such as IBM were cutting out whole levels of management and a lot of people I knew were being offered so-called "packages".

I want to work for myself instead. I am seriously considering relocating to a better part of the country and finding a nine to five job, and starting up a custom cabinet/furniture shop on the side. Thanks for the great tip, the area I'm looking at has a pretty good economy right now, and I'm sure there will be some DINKS and other Yuppies who will appreciate fine built ins and the like. Cool idea.
Good for you Ned and I wish you all the good luck that you can make for yourself. (I also believe that a person mostly makes their own good luck.)
 
Here are some pics of a piece done back in 04. When I design/ build these things the design comes from the desires of the client in form of needs, and wants. "She" says... "I want it to be this wide, this high and have the look of that style furniture over there",(pointing). Or maybe she has several photos of molding or parts, or pieces of furniture she would like me to reproducethe " look" of in the new piece. Then I figure the fixed dimensions needed to house the components and the speakers "she" intends to have, and come up with several plans for her to see. We select and modify and I give her the price and then build it. This one I designed, built, stained and finished after doing some distress work.
 
I forgot the photos in the last post:rofl: :rofl: Oh well %*&( happens:D
Julie 9 5 04 (18).jpg Shown are the finished product and some of the details.
Shaz
 

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Yes. Been noticing this.
The whole house cabinet job I am working on, they are going to mount theirs flush on the wall above the fireplace mantel. [If I ever get it built:eek: ]



I work with a designer who is one of those crazy genius types who came up with a great solution...should've taken some pictures:eek:

We built a decorative frame (this one was nothing special) around the wall mounted plasma... and inserted one-way mirror (like in the police station) in front of the screen. When the TV was off it looked like a mirror...turn on the TV and it just appears. Worked like a charm...

But be sure to cut vents top and bottom, or you'll burn it up in no time...trust me.:eek:
 
don`t cha just love folks who have you build something then want it beaten up:eek: .....did you build the brackets?.......cool lookin` chest! tod
 
We built a decorative frame (this one was nothing special) around the wall mounted plasma... and inserted one-way mirror (like in the police station) in front of the screen. When the TV was off it looked like a mirror...turn on the TV and it just appears. Worked like a charm...

But be sure to cut vents top and bottom, or you'll burn it up in no time...trust me.:eek:
Hi Craig, that sounds like a very interesting presentation.. Always nice to be part of a good idea. :D Thanks for sharing
don`t cha just love folks who have you build something then want it beaten up:eek: .....did you build the brackets?.......cool lookin` chest! tod
Hi Tod, Thanks for your vote, I appreciate that.
That beatin up look bothered me at first, but I am starting to think of it as a creative endeavor- scratching places with a horseshoe rasp, dinging corners with a cat's paw, :doh: "Ah, not hard enough, One more time", :rofl: adding worm holes with the awl:rofl:. You know they even pay extra for a GOOD beatin.:rofl: Let's face it, labor and material to build :type: plus knowing where to put the right dings in the right places, now that costs money:rofl:.. The bracket feet, center detail and the rope molding were purchased seperately. Once I get the right knives for the shaper I look forward to making the feet. Used rottenstone on the top,a first, whoa what a shine on that lacquer!!
Shaz
 
Recently I was contacted by a small but high falluten funiture store in Scottsdale (read MONEY) about a price on an entertainment center that they needed by Feb 19th. It seems her regular woodworker flaked out on her. They wanted it made out of Alder. I had them send me the drawing they had. Ent center.jpg I did a take off and figured I'd need 190 bd ft to do the job for quotation purposed I used 240 db ft since there is always some scrap when working with rough lumber. My supplier quoted me $3.60/bd ft (I'm sure for this amount head reduce the price, I know the price goes down 10% when I buy over 100 bd ft.) I figured the rest of the materials, hardware secondary lumber etc and came up with a cost of material of $1210. I then tripled the material cost and came out to sell price of $3600 to do the job. figuring it woul take me between 2-3 weeks to do the job and I'd make between $25-30/hr. I can live with that. I talked to the client today because I need a few question answered and in talking she asked me for a ball park number. I said that it would be between $3500 and $4000. Without batting an eye she said that my price was in line with other quotes she has gotten in the area. She said unfortunatly she based her sell price on the price that the flake had given her so she had quoted her customer $3200. She went on to say that she need a good quality shop and she had aaa smaller piece that she need a price on that she hadn't quoted yet and that she would give me a shot at it. I am passing this along for what ever it's worth and also because this entertainment center was for a flat screen.
 
don`t cha just love folks who have you build something then want it beaten up:eek:

Personally I really, really dislike "distressing" projects. First of all, I just don't like the look. I think it looks messy. Secondly, it just has a feeling of dishonesty about it. Real antiques earn their marks over decades and centuries of normal use.

But I read a very wise saying once:

NO the customer is NOT always right.
But, the customer IS always the customer.

:thumb:
 
consoles

I absolutely prefer the long low console look below a flat panel screen.. The piececan be made as contemporary or period as ones customer likes. Here is one I came across and it looks like I will be building something similar. It;s a style I like and fits in at my place. I'l start after I finish the 2/3s completed bedroom, The 9/10s finished bathroom cabinet, blah, blah, blah.

You know?

Really I like this console style and had been working on drawings but when I saw this piece it fired me up. Wish I could find the web site again.
 

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and came out to sell price of $3600 to do the job. figuring it woul take me between 2-3 weeks to do the job and I'd make between $25-30/hr. I can live with that. I talked to the client today because I need a few question answered and in talking she asked me for a ball park number. I said that it would be between $3500 and $4000. Without batting an eye she said that my price was in line with other quotes she has gotten in the area.
Hi Don,
You did alot of work to get to that place, and I think you are quite reasonable. If they are that high end and you want to do high end, do it right and charge for it , justify your price and don't give it away. The less you charge, the more they make. Does the quality of your work change when you reduce your price? When I did that, I was always the loser. Hang in there Don, be the best that you can be!!!!


Personally Real antiques earn their marks over decades and centuries of normal use.
Hi Art, Have I done bad?:huh: I just decided to age that piece, kinda like decades and centuries in minutes, isn't that what made America great?:rofl: :rofl:

:thumb:

I absolutely prefer the long low console look below a flat panel screen..
Really I like this console style and had been working on drawings but when I saw this piece it fired me up.
Hi Bill,
I am glad when woodworkers get fired up over a project. That example is rather nice and will be a nice project when you get the time. Remember to add pieces of yourself to the design. Be interested in what you are doing!
Thanks for the interesting input :thumb: .
Shaz
 
Hi Don,
You did alot of work to get to that place, and I think you are quite reasonable. If they are that high end and you want to do high end, do it right and charge for it , justify your price and don't give it away. The less you charge, the more they make. Does the quality of your work change when you reduce your price? When I did that, I was always the loser. Hang in there Don, be the best that you can be!!!!





Thanks for the interesting input :thumb: .
Shaz

Thanks Shaz,
I told her that there were several things I would not do, I wouldn't use inferior material, and I wouldn't compromise on workmanship.. I also told her I wouldn't commit to a schedule that was unreasonable. Fortunatly at this point I am not trying to earn a living doing this type of work. I am trying to build a reputation not make a living doing this. I may not ever be able to get 45,000 dollars for a rocker and deliver it when it's done like my hero Sam Maloof but at least when I produce a piece I'll know that it's done right and the client got a good value for his dollar and I didn't sell myself cheap.
 
,
I told her that there were several things I would not do, GoodI wouldn't use inferior materialGood, and I wouldn't compromise on workmanshipGood.. I also told her I wouldn't commit to a schedule that was unreasonableGood,( but you will try to work with her).Fortunatly at this point I am not trying to earn a living doing this type of work.This is a marvelous place to be. I am trying to build a reputation not make a living doing this. That is a super position to be in with a great attitude :thumb: I may not ever be able to get 45,000 dollars for a rocker and deliver it when it's done like my hero Sam Maloof but at least when I produce a piece I'll know that it's done right and the client got a good value (fair price for the quality) for his dollar and I didn't sell myself cheap.
Hi Don, Hope you don't mind my interjecting a few words
Your bidding sounds very methodical. As you do this custom work, would you consider different ways of getting to your bottom line ,or do you use different methods already?
Shaz
 
Shaz,
Since this piece is going to a client for resale, I looked at it as a time and material project. I did Google entertainment centers to see what a commercial piece like this would sell for to make sure that I wasn't out of line either high or low. I would entertain other thoughts on how to price an item. I know that I talked to this client about building a Maloof pedestal table on speculation and putting it in here store and need to figure a price for it. In this case the only comparable product would be one from Sam him self and I'm afraid I can't charge what he does.
 
Shaz,
Since this piece is going to a client for resale, I looked at it as a time and material project.Not a good idea to alienate her, but at resale she will make her marked profit, you are the one cutting prices. Once you establish your craftsmanship and quality you will have more leverage to be paid your asking price. I did Google entertainment centers to see what a commercial piece are made in multiples with mass cutting and more than one at a time which lowers their price like this would sell for to make sure that I wasn't out of line either high or low.You are in a different league building a prototype each time I would entertain other thoughts on how to price an item. I know that I talked to this client about building a Maloof pedestal table on speculation and putting it in here store and need to figure a price for it. In this case the only comparable product would be one from Sam him self and I'm afraid I can't charge what he does. I think you are probably right on this one since it is his design and you are not 91 yet:rofl: How about just writing his name on the underside of the top while you are glueing it up and then varnish over that:dunno: :doh: oooo not kosher:rofl: :rofl: Some people try it :( :huh:
Good luck
Shaz
 
just delivered to its home down the street

Just finished this for a neighbor. Not the one I want to build but about what he wanted, simple, elegant shape. Cherry, cherry veneer, bubinga veneer, maple inlay.
 

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