Latest project

[mlzettl]

I finished this wall hung jewelry cabinet a few days ago. My goal was to design and build a functional storage solution for a large collection of jewelry. The problem with many jewelry boxes and cases is that most of the jewelry is hidden away, and difficult to find. I designed this wall hung cabinet to display all of the earrings and necklaces as soon as the doors are opened. Since it is wall hung, depth becomes an issue, and traditional drawers are a problem. I designed swing out drawers that pivot on a brass rod, allowing total access to the drawer's contents. All in all, I think the functionality works well. It is 18" wide, 29" tall, and 6" deep at the center. It will hold between 125 and 150 pairs of earrings and between 50 and 100 necklaces, bracelets, and watches.



Function is one thing, but a pleasing and elegant design is another. Rather than using a lot of contrasting woods, I decided to do something more subtle. All of the wood is makore, with some minor accents in wenge. The door panels are curved, and faced with bookmatched crotch makore. I used rare earth magnets, 14 in all, as door and drawer closures.






Additional pics of some details can be found in my album. Overall, I am very happy with the result, and the owner of the gallery where I have my work locally loved it. I'm thinking of doing a smaller version, as this one is really quite large. I would be interested in any comments, criticisms, questions, etc.

Matt

[pcooper]

That is simply awesome!!! Very nice wood grain on the front, and the inside is beautiful.

[G_ville_worker]

I'm amazed every day by the talent on this board. That is simply awesome. The drawers are pretty slick. I like that a lot.

[FredP]

beeuteefull! do you have close-ups of the earing slots? this looks like a christmas project to me! nicely done!

[TracyP]

Very nice!!!

[woodArtz]

Stunning! Great job!!

[Tar Heel]

Wow!!! That is simply gorgeous. Was that done for a family member or was it a commissioned piece...no matter, some woman is going to be very happy using that.

[pcooper]

[quote= The drawers are pretty slick.[/quote]

I just had to take another look...and yes the drawers are really awesome, that's just too cool!!! I would like to see more pics of this thing, up close. There's got to be more cool details that we've not seen yet.

[nelsone]

I don't see much to criticize about that! What a great looking project. The wood looks great and that feathered crotch is stunning. LOML has been wanting something for her jewelry, but I haven't found the right idea. Yours has some features that are really worth considering!

[ErnieM]

Matt,

Another amazing piece from the hands of a master. I love the blend of great woodworking and ingenuity. The pull out drawers are a great idea. I'd love one for my wife but then I'd have to buy her 149 pairs of earings and 99 bracelets, watches. etc. Can't wait to see a smaller version.
Another masterpiece.
Ernie

[bwat]

Awesome! Outstanding work!!!

[MikeL]

Matt, that is another fine piece of woodworking. I can easily see why the gallery owner or anyone else would be impressed.

[mlzettl]

I want to thank everyone for the most gracious comments. It is always satisfying to hear kind remarks from fellow woodworkers, and I am most appreciative.

beeuteefull! do you have close-ups of the earing slots? this looks like a christmas project to me! nicely done!

Fred, the only pics that I have are the ones in my members gallery in the "Wall Hung Jewelry Cabinet" album. The earring holders are basically just 1/8" x 3/4" x 9" pieces of makore with a band saw cut about every 1/2". I used my bandsaw crosscut sled with a registration mark to get the cuts evenly spaced. Sanding all those little cuts was a bit of a pain, though. The holders are at about a 10 deg. angle form vertical to help stabilize longer earrings that would freely dangle otherwise. This design will hold wire, post, or French loop (I think that's what it is called) earrings. They are sprung into mortises in the rails, no glue. There kind of like widely spaced louvers.

Was that done for a family member or was it a commissioned piece.

Stuart, I wish it was a commission, but it wasn't. I asked my local gallery what they wanted, and they said a jewelry box. I work with them on a consignment basis, which is the way most galleries work, especially on expensive items.

I'd love one for my wife but then I'd have to buy her 149 pairs of earings and 99 bracelets, watches. etc.

Ernie, I was wondering how long it would take for someone to say that. While I was working on it, I began to realize how much it would actually hold. It occurred to me that I might receive accusations from husbands, boyfriends, and SO's that I was just promoting more jewelry buying and gift giving. But having met your wife, I can certainly say that she deserves such nice things!!!!! Especially with you tracking all that sawdust through the house all the time.

Matt

[PChristy]

Matt, nice job

[Shamrock]

Wow-you inspire me! That is fantastic. Was the curve on the door laminated or is it mdf curfed with the laminate wood on top?