Design. Furniture. Cabinetry. Kitchens.

No, we are not going to start selling iPods made of wood, and the list of things we have in common with Steve Jobs is quite short. (I, for one, never wear turtle necks.) But one of the keys to the success of Apple’s products and software is how focused they are on the user experience during the design process.  I imagine it’s very similar to what we do here as we work through the design of a piece of furniture or a cabinetry installation.  By paying close attention to the details of usability and function, we work to ensure that not only will the project succeed visually, but purposefully as well.

Put another way, the emphasis placed on what to build is equally important to the craftsmanship of building the object itself.

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One question that I get asked a lot is “what are your cabinets made out of?” It’s an easy question, but a hard one to give a good answer to if you don’t know why the customer is asking.  So, I thought I’d offer some information here about the materials we use most often,  why we use them, and why we stay away from others.

In future posts I’ll discuss some of the hardwoods we use and highlight some of the places where we source huge slabs, but I thought I’d get started with the manufactured products since they seem to be least understood.

Plywood

Plywood is the workhorse of custom cabinetry. A manufactured board made up of several layers, or plies of wood glued together to form a panel, plywood is strong, lightweight, and stable. Cabinet grade plywood is the perfect material for building the sides, backs, and bottoms of cabinets. Available in a range of thicknesses, plywood is often referred to by the type of wood used in it’s outermost plies.  Cherry plywood, for example will have cherry veneer as it’s outer surfaces.  The interior surfaces will be of a secondary wood, often spruce or alder.

Veneer

I’ll just say it.  Veneer is not a bad thing.  Some of the most stunning, highest quality furniture could not be made without it. Real veneer is very thinly sliced wood that is intended to be glued to a substrate such as a secondary wood,  plywood or an MDF panel.  There are many situations where veneer is a more desirable choice than solid wood. Once glued to an appropriate substrate, veneer is more stable and less susceptible to movement caused by changes in humidity.  In addition, veneer allows for exceptional control of both the color and grain of the finished project as well as the possibility to create a range of visual patterns that cannot be achieved any other way. (Think Art Deco. Think Modern.) If used correctly, there is very little chance that the veneer will chip, crack, or separate from it’s backing.

MDF

Short for Medium Density Fiberboard, MDF is an engineered wood panel made up of a mixture wood fibers and resins formed by applying heat and pressure.  MDF is a high quality product with characteristics that make it desirable for cabinet and furniture construction. It should not be confused with particleboard. Particleboard is awful stuff.  Smoother and even more stable than plywood, MDF is an excellent choice as a substrate for veneer or used for panels that are to be lacquered or painted.  Because of it’s extremely uniform surface, MDF is not prone to “telegraphing”. Telegraphing, which most often occurs with lower quality plywood or extremely thin veneers, is when the grain of the substrate can be seen or felt through the top surface.  Available in water resistant varieties that contain recycled materials and formaldehyde  free resins, MDF is a great green option and suitable for furniture, and kitchen and bathroom cabinetry.

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