An office desk in Oregon Walnut with a secret inside.
A former colleague contacted me to build him a desk for his new home in Atlanta. He liked my other designs and wanted some specific design details for his version in Walnut.
The desk features one flat drawer plus two file drawers.
The top has striking bookmatched grain. The top's edging was cut from the same log so the grain integrates beautifully.
He requested that a secret compartment be integrated into the design. It is accessed by removing the top flat drawer, then pulling out the secret drawer from the back.
The top is 1-1/2 inches thick and made using a woodworking technique called "lumbercore". It produces a very stable and flat top.
The drawer front's spectacular grain is like a Rorschach Test. I see two Fir trees. What do you see?
At the beginning of the design process, I discussed details with the client and settled on overall dimensions of 60 inch wide x 26 inch deep x 32-3/4 inch tall. The desk is quite tall to match the client's 6 ft. 4 in. height. That's one of the benefits of custom furniture.
I visited a small Oregon lumber mill and found beautiful Walnut planks with spectacular figure. You can likely see the drawer front's grain in the plank in the foreground.
All the parts were laid-out on the three planks in an effort to create harmonious grain and color.