Desks,
Bookcases & Entertainment Centers
Working
Furniture for Your Home
Best of Woodworkers Journal
Softcover
215 x 280mm
153pp
Published by Fox Chapel Publishing Co. Inc., East Petersburg PA USA
R.R.P.$29.90
ISBN 978-1-56523-363.8
Federal Secretary Desk
Queen Anne's Writing Desk
Santa Fe Style Desk
A Cherry Arts & Crafts
Stereo Cabinet
Computer Desk
Compact Computer Cabinet
Build a Knockdown Bookcase
from One Sheet of Plywood
Modular Barrister's Bookcases
Architectural Moldings for
the Itasca Bookcase
Heirloom Bookcase
As reviewed in The Australian Woodworker Issue 144
The subtitle of this book is Working Furniture for your Home. It's an apt description of the many pieces that we add to our homes to create the environment in which we wish to live.
The individual projects which the book contains have been selected by its editors from past Issues of the US publication, Woodworker's Journal. They cover an unusually wide range, not just in type and function, but also in style.
The simplest is a Knockdown Bookcase from One Sheet of Plywood. Despite the ease with which it could be made, it is nevertheless sturdy and attractive.
At the other end of the scale is a Federal Secretary Desk which, as its name implies, is in the American Federal style - both elegant and formal.
In between, there are Modular Barrister's Bookcases, a Compact Computer Cabinet which closes up completely when not in use, an Heirloom Bookcase with bowed front and fluted accents, a Modular Computer Desk for your home or office workstation, a Walnut Library Bookcase which looks far more difficult than it really is to construct and three Entertainment Centres. One of these is the third generation of the magazine's most requested plan, another is a low cabinet style Centre and the third is a tall cabinet with sliding doors that hide the entertainment gear (including the TV), when it is not in use.
In addition, there are three other desks - one a Queen Anne, one in Sante Fe style and the last, a modern computer desk.
The treatment of each project leaves little to be desired. The drawings are excellent, a materials list is provided and aside from the photo of the completed piece, each is illustrated with several work-in-progress photos.
Photos: Colour
Units of Measurement: Imperial
Contents
Federal Secretary Desk
by Dick Coers
Federal styling, an
American response to various European influences, relies on a combination of simple
elements to create an elegant complete design. With that goal in mind, our secretary
features oval inlays and book-matched burl veneer, together with tapered legs
and slender, light-colored inlay strips.
Queen
Anne's Writing Desk
by Chris Inman
No furniture is more refined
than Queen Anne, and our desk is full of the graceful curves that characterize
the style. If you have never taken on the challenge of making cabriole legs, now
is the time.
Santa
Fe Style Desk
by Rick White
The popularity of southwest style
furniture is growing rapidly, and we have captured its rich, traditional look
in our desk design. The front apron, stretchers, and backsplash have an elegant
stepped lift, and the overall appearance is understated without being stark.
A
Cherry Arts & Crafts Stereo Cabinet
by Mike McGlynn
In the
spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement, furniture should be beautiful well-made
and functional. Our custom piece captures those tenets while using both traditional
and state-of-the-art joinery.
Computer
Desk
by Bill Hylton
Sooner or later, a busy woodworking writer
needs to get his desk organized. But what if the current desk doesn't cut it?
If you are due for a new desk too, our project will give your router a good workout.
Modular
Computer Desk
by Rick White
These days, almost everyone owns
a computer. Even if you do most of your work on screen, there are still notes
to pen, bills to pay, and paraphernalia to keep organized on a desktop. Our four-piece
modular desk gives you plenty of room for it all, and you can organize these components
any way you like to suit your workspace.
Compact
Computer Cabinet
by Rick White
Most of us need a suitable piece
of furniture to house all of our computer equipment, but an effective workstation
does not have to look like a desk. Our armoire-style cabinet not only holds all
of the gadgets but also hides them discreetly.
Build
a Knockdown Bookcase from One Sheet of Plywood
by Chris Inman
Here's
proof that well-designed knockdown furniture can be sturdy and attractive, while
still maintaining its most important features easy disassembly and compact storage.
The design is made with the frugal (or modestly budgeted) in mind: You'll only
need one sheet of plywood, a little solid stock, and a handful of knockdown connectors
to hold the parts together.
Modular
Barrister's Bookcases
by Rick White
We will forgive you if you
have a burgeoning home library it's tough to resist the urge to collect books,
even in today's world of instant media and DVDs. If you are looking for a neat
and attractive way to store your volumes, modular bookcases just might be the
ticket. Start with two or three and build more as the need arises.
Architectural
Moldings for the Itasca Bookcase
by Paul Lee
Some casework designs,
particularly tall pieces, can look stark without a well-conceived treatment of
decorative moldings. Our bookcase is an excellent example of moldings done right.
With roots in urban architecture, the corbels, arches, and intricate - bricking
break up its tall form and tend a grounded sensibility.
Heirloom
Bookcase
by Rick White
With its bowed front, fluted accents,
and mahogany veneers, our classic bookcase design will expand your woodworking
skills and , deliver a project worthy of the ages. If you have not yet invested
in a vacuum press for veneering, now would be a good time to get one you are going
to need it.
Walnut
Library Bookcase
by Rick White
You will add a touch of elegant
formality to your den or study when this handsome bookcase adorns a wall. Its
built-up crown, fluted styles, and rosette accents include all of the classical
elements. Choose some figured or burled walnut plywood to : complete the package.
Entertainment
Center for Two
by Rick White
If you would like to build a substantial
display piece for the den or family room, our entertainment center offers the
best of two worlds: With its unique sliding door in their closed position, the
cabinet displays your family's favorite collectibles.
Entertainment
Center
by Rick White
Cherry dentil moldings crown this third
generation of our most requested plan, and building it yourself can save you thousands
of dollars.
An
Elegant Entertainment Center
by Rick White
Picture our beautiful
mahogany and smoked glass cabinet in your living room. It can hold a large television,
a stereo system, and your music and video collections without overpowering the
room. It is a good exercise in big casework construction and gives you a chance
to try your hand at basic veneering.
Walnut Library Bookcase
Entertainment Center for Two
Entertainment Center
An Elegant Entertainment Center