Coffee Table as Conversation Piece

Recently a long time administrator and supporter of the Central YMCA in Raleigh commissioned Matthew to design and build a coffee table incorporating a saved section of the old gym floor from the 60s era YMCA. Several sections of the old basketball court were saved at the time of  renovation. Some were used for artwork in the new lobby of the YMCA. While Matthew created a conversation piece for an athletic family's family room. Woodleaf Studios took apart the 1 inch thick solid maple tung and groove flooring by removing nails, then they glued the floor pieces together and planed off the old finish and paint. They finished the table with orange shellac and a clear lacquer top coat. The base is made of  sapele, a mahogany like wood. The edges of the top reveal the tung and groove pattern of the floor.

So rather than having a book as the conversation piece the table itself serves that purpose!

The Bridge for Much Ado

Our daughter  was in the play "Much Ado About Nothing" at her high school this Fall. As it is her senior year, I thought it would be nice if we did something big to help out the show. Turns out the director said they needed a bridge. So I donated Matthew's time and expertise to the cause. We sort of have a running inside joke that I always underestimate the time and effort required for a project, and that was the case here as well. Matthew had never built a bridge before so once again he had a design and engineering challenge. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, Matthew and the guys at the shop were "in between" paying projects and had some free time for the bridge construction. Matthew developed the design based on a photo of a bridge the director gave him.  The results were well received! She even said that now she will be thinking of plays for the school to perform that involve a bridge.

An Uplifting Project

Woodeaf Studios specializes in taking a client's unique and challenging needs and creating the desired outcome. And like many this particular request was a first. The client wanted us to design, build and install an elevator door and closet door that appeared only to be a built-in cabinet. Also make the piece so that the style and finish complement the existing cabinetry on the other side of the billiards room. Below is the existing cabinetry.

The client also wanted the mechanical call button and cab indicator lights visible for use but inconspicuous.

Below left is a shot of the cabinet taking shape. Notice the plywood so no one falls down the elevator shaft!

The hidden doors revealed.

Teak Table Anniversary Gift

Recently Matthew and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. I was pleasantly surprised when he brought home this teak table for our deck. I had been looking in stores trying to find something that would compliment our teak chairs with no luck. Matthew designed and built this table using leftover wood from a recent project. There were very few boards of any size available yet there were a number of narrow strips/drops that made for a nice "breathing top", a top that sheds rain water. The legs turn 90 degrees at each corner to create a sense of movement. The brass screws join the legs to the aprons and add a little decorative interest. Epoxy was used to join the mitered top and reinforce the joinery. The table is finished with teak oil. All in all it is a marvelous replacement for the old glass and white metal table that did not match our deck furniture.

Floating Dreams

This bed was designed and built for a couple that wanted a platform style bed with a clean and simple look that also provided storage underneath. They also specified Walnut. Woodleaf Studios suggested night stands to complete the ensemble and came up with the intriguing floating placement of the night stands.

The headboard is made of vertically grained solid walnut planks that are scalloped with a parabolic shape using a table saw. Then the scalloped edges were hand carved to create the tooled look.

The night stands have a waterfall wrap of walnut plywood with a solid walnut front edge. They are dowel located and bolted to the headboard. There is also a concealed metal strap under the front edge of the platform to provide stability.

There are four large drawers underneath the bed for ample storage.

The finishing consists of an NGR colonial maple base with a special walnut wiping stain topped with a catalyzed lacquer.

The bed comes apart into several pieces for ease of transport and installation.

Hopefully, the new bed will provide a plethora of “floating dreams”.

Den Remodel

Last year, we had a leak in our den wall that required us to tear out the old paneling and hang sheetrock. We took this situation as an opportunity to do something we had hoped to do for years: remodel the entire den. Matthew designed this entertainment center and bookshelves to be functional, appealing and cozy. The door panels are a basket weave of 1"  x   1/16"  mahogany strips which are backed by a fabric panel to allow sound from the speakers to pass through, as well as remote control reception to various electronic components and ventilation of the electronics. The cabinet tops are mahogany as well. There is easy access to all wiring in the storage room behind the wall. The  four foot square coffee table, also designed by Matthew, is made of epay wood.

Walnut Breakfast Table

Our client asked us to create a breakfast table that emulated a table they already had in their home. Woodleaf Studios looked high and low for the right veneer to meet the client's desires. The veneer top is referred to as walnut butt which comes from the base of the tree and has a beautiful two toned quality. The hexagonal pedestal and tripod base are made of solid walnut. A series of alcohol and oil stains as well as paste wood fillers were topped off with a lacquer finish.

Woodleaf Studios attends Unity In Design Event

Matthew and Randy (our skilled craftsman who has been with Woodleaf for 22 years!) manned the Woodleaf Studios booth at the Unity in Design trade show February 20th in High Point. It was sponsored by Design Professionals of NC. Matthew and Randy met some new contacts and reacquainted themselves with previous clients and colleagues. They received  positive feedback on the booth display which featured light weight panels wallpapered with Matthew's furniture drawings and eight  images of recent projects. There were also sketch books and mock up samples at the booth for people to peruse through and put their hands on. Matthew informed the attendees that in addition to design and fabrication Woodleaf  Studios now offers design consulting for furniture and built in applications.

Sunroom Addition Cabinets

Woodleaf Studios was asked to design and build cabinets for Charles and Lori's sunroom addition. The design needed to incorporate an HVAC return, lighting, electrical outlets, storage and adjustable shelves. As seen by the photographs the HVAC return is concealed but has louver doors to allow air flow. The cabinets are paint grade and made of birch plywood and maple solids with bead board panels in the back. This project is a permanent installation in which the cabinets are scribed to the wall.

Schultz Breakfast Table

When they expressed a desire for a Woodleaf Studio piece Matthew toured the Schultz’s home with them. They had not been sure what they wanted, but following the tour when Matthew recommended a breakfast table for their kitchen they were sold on the idea. They wanted it to be functional, practical and casual. Matthew decided on a country-flavored design, which they approved. The solid white  oak 48” diameter table seats four to six . Decorative buttons conceal the screws that hold the base together. The planking of the top is deliberately accentuated to show the character of the individual boards. The finish is a golden oak stain with a semi-gloss lacquer. A handsome utilitarian piece!

Office Metamorphosis

Charles and Lori were dissatisfied with their home office. The mismatched office furniture was overflowing with electronic, computer and photographic equipment. They obviously needed more storage, counter and desktop space. Woodleaf Studios provided the solution, as you can see in the photos below. Matthew designed an attractive office, a more cohesive and organized space. The features include louvered doors that allow ventilation for electronic and printing equipment, a large platform that pulls out from under the desk space allowing easy access to wiring and individual cabinet pieces that can be rearranged or removed if the clients should relocate. Cherry solids and cherry plywood are finished in clear lacquer. The pulls are stainless steel. The resulting work space is contemporary, integrated and inviting.

Woodleaf Studios Piece Raises Money For Cancer Research

Friday  November 13th was the annual Raleigh Roundup event at the NC State Fairgrounds. For the third year in a row Matthew and Woodleaf Studios donated a piece for the live auction. This year our donation sold for $1700.00. This money along with all the other funds raised will go to local American Cancer Society projects.

A Bedroom "Sweet" Story

When Matthew's mother Patricia was a young navy wife she decided to branch out a bit and use her creative talents by making some tiles. She painted and glazed nine tiles that were fired thanks to the use of a friend's kiln. Some 50 years later Patricia commissioned Matthew to incorporate the tiles into furniture for her North Carolina mountain house guest room. The tiles are individually showcased, each tile with a single bead wrap and a wider beveled frame. A pickling stain was applied to the white oak that compliments the light color of the tiles. The styling of the pieces is simple and clean so as to give the tiles the stage-the main event.

An Inspirational Trip to France

Last month Matthew and I traveled to France to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. While we were abroad we visited some museums and chateaus for artistic inspiration. It turns out Matthew took more pictures of  the furniture than he did of the Eiffel Tower and the like!  The craftsmen and artists of yesteryear did amazing things. Matthew always likes a challenge, so if you fancy a bed like the ones in which French nobles slept  or a jewelry chest with a false bottom in which to hide your valuables, then Woodleaf Studios is the one to call!

Woodleaf Studios Gives Back

Matthew Smith and Woodleaf Studios periodically donate a piece of furniture to a local fundraiser. This is the third year that the Cancer Society is the recipient of a Woodleaf Studios creation for their fundraiser, The Raleigh Roundup. The cabinet seen here will be auctioned off  to the highest bidder. Incidentally, the Woodleaf Studios donation is often the biggest money maker for the live auction portion of the fundraiser. Money raised by the Raleigh Roundup is used by the South Atlantic Division of the Cancer Society. Much of the proceeds go to local universities for cancer research.

This contemporary piece was designed to be used in a master bath or workout room for storage of towels and toiletry items.  Features of the cabinet include mahogany construction, brushed stainless steel dowels, rods and pulls, cast aluminum legs, Nero fossil tiles, concealed European hinges, and Blum soft motion door dampeners.

Erickson Biedermeier

Biedermeier design, for Matthew, is simple yet elegant geometric styling. This large entertainment center features a traditional drop down desk surface with the upper panel pocketing back into the cabinet. The columns and ball knob pulls are black lacquer. The three lower drawers operate with full extension and provide ample storage.

Rolling Banquette Tables

In the world of truly custom furniture each job has its own unique requirements. In this case the two dining tables, with one edge rounded along each of their lengths, are designed to correspond with curved banquettes. The tables, with their geometric patterned tops of quarter sawn cherry, can join together to create one large table (joining hardware is concealed) or be separated to function independently.

Ebony Wedge Buffet

The title "Ebony Wedge Buffet" says it all. This server speaks with it's contemporary styling and plain geometric shapes. The ebony wedges rest on each end of the birdseye maple base and support it's glass top. It is a clean design with no visible hardware. The doors open by touch latch and the drawers open via a groove on the side. The glass top allows you to put things on it right out of the oven. Bon appetit!

The Making of a Dream Humidor

Last year Matthew had the opportunity, for the first time, to design and fabricate a large built-in humidor for a client. Below are some detail shots of the project. Take notice of the rubber gasket used to properly seal the cabinet. The humidifying equipment sits within a stainless steel overflow tray/tub to capture any short term leak or accidental spill when adding water, etc. See the "The Wine and Cigar Aficionado Office" in exhibit grade built-ins for the finished photo.

East Indies Entertainment Center

This East Indies inspired built-in, with it's louvered doors and warm mahogany finish, anchors this master bedroom suite. The central gas log fireplace is flanked by two large cabinets with pocketing doors that house a TV and other general storage. The louver doors allow increased ventilation and create the East Indies feel. The large rope braid turnings add dimension and character.