Replies

1. 
   dlb | Jan 03, 2008 05:00am | #1

   I like the overall design. That being said, I think that there is too much 'activity' (for lack of a better word)  in the center of the chest.

   JMHO,

   dlb

   .

    

   The undisciplined life is not worth examining.
1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Jan 03, 2008 07:19pm | #15

   Possibly make the doors large enough to cover both the shelves and center openings?

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

    

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

2. 
   Samson | Jan 03, 2008 05:05am | #2

   I like the idea, but question whether they work ergonomically.  If they were above waist level, they wold be a nice place to have a stack of sweaters, for example.  But at 20 - 30", I think that I'd find bending over for access a pain in the butt.  Maybe not?

3. 
   Shaker01 | Jan 03, 2008 05:26am | #3

   I like the concept, just not sure of the dimensions for it to work. Shaker furniture is filled with examples of having a door in the middle of the furniture but that is on taller cases. I have seen some on the smaller cases but not with so many drawers. Hope that helps.

   Shaker

1. 
   user-83153 | Jan 03, 2008 06:15am | #4

   Thanks for the responses so far guys. You have the wheels turning in my head. Maybe a chest on chest with the doors on the top section? Maybe make it wider so that the drawers on the sides aren't so small?

   Keep the critique and any ideas coming. Hopefully I'll be starting this on the weekend.

                                Rob

1. 
   mufti | Jan 03, 2008 01:56pm | #11

              I would go for whatever serves your purpose, sizing, position, scale or anything else. And be advised by your wife if you need advice, otherwise you may never hear the end of it.

4. 
   RW | Jan 03, 2008 06:22am | #5

   I dont think doors per se are really a bad idea at all. I agree in general that the placement makes me initially scratch my head a bit, but it did remind me of a pic I saw once and I went and found it again. Even on paper, a little hard to decide. I bet if you built it, then we'd be full of feedback!

   http://www.thosmoser.com/product.detail.php?category_id=11&family_id=&product_id=200

   Thats the "Dr White" chest from Moser if you arent already familiar with it. I knew I'd seen doors like that before. Just another way of thinking about the idea. I think I like them better up top, and probably a little more useable there.

   Real trucks dont have sparkplugs

5. 
   Malcolm | Jan 03, 2008 06:35am | #6

   First thought: yes, drawers a nice idea, but better balanced if at the top. Then I spotted the Moser example. I prefer the top version, but your version would also be OK.

   http://www.macpherson.co.nz
6. 
   murphreejz | Jan 03, 2008 06:41am | #7

   I don't know about this in a 'classic' piece.

   Shaker, perhaps, but definitely if you go for a more contemporary aesthetic. Doors in the middle, or an open space ala the attached pic.

   Regards, JM

    

   P.S. I lived in Waterloo, WI for a few years. I really miss Wisco...

    

   "Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines and dates by which bills must be paid." - Frank Zappa

   
7. 
   oldusty | Jan 03, 2008 06:43am | #8

     Hi Rob ,

              It looks pretty nice as is , another variation you could place one door on each end and move the drawer stack to the center .

           The result would be 2 single door compartments that were once called "hat boxes" you could keep the same drawer config or split into only two drawers .

                  dusty

8. 
   blkdawg | Jan 03, 2008 07:42am | #9

   Go for it. Looks great the way it is. You want people to look at it and say "now thats different." It's not another boring chest of drawers. Nice job, show us the finished product.

9. 
   BG | Jan 03, 2008 01:21pm | #10

   RobA,
   I like it a lot. Those doors would work very well to accommodate many things I need to store and have no space in my chest on chest except on top of the dresser. It would make a wonderful home for the Old Spice for instance. I might move the door up a row but, in general, I like the concept.
   Personally, I'd drop the butcher block end grain look...but that's just me...lol

10. 
    JeffHeath | Jan 03, 2008 06:18pm | #12

    I'm not a furniture historian, but what you're talking about there is, I believe, called a chifarobe.  It might (or might not) help in a search for aesthetically pleasing designs.

    Jeff

11. 
    | Jan 03, 2008 06:31pm | #13

    Hello Rob,

    I think that it could be a real nice piece. You should ask yourself if, however, the two areas behind the doors will fulfill a need that you have, or will you always be wishing you had simply had another drawer? In addition, I would make a few more sketches and play with the foot design and edge treatments. A mockup, made from some scrap materials or even cardboard will help in refining the design.

    Could have the look and feel of a scaled up spice case. The shakers often had doors on case pieces like this. Looks interesting; keep us posted.

    Bob, Tupper lake, NY

12. 
    JMadson | Jan 03, 2008 07:10pm | #14

    resized the drawing for all to see.

     

    
1. 
   forestgirl | Jan 03, 2008 08:36pm | #16

   Thanks, even with DSL I rarely click on 2MB files.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

13. 
    colebearanimals | Jan 04, 2008 01:25am | #17

     

           I like it, Rob. 

           If you feel the doors are to low for easy access, how about a couple of drawers behind them? That way you get the design aspect of the doors with the functionality of drawers. Maybe beaded drawer fronts and doors and a small detail under the top lip.

           I think it will be a fine piece.

                                                                   Paul

14. 
    dtraversi | Jan 04, 2008 01:40am | #18

    Hey Rob- Is your wife's heart set on frame and flat panel doors? or did she merely want a set of doors for convenience?

    The more I study your design - the more I'd opt for a simple "solid wood-flush fit" pair of doors.
    You could get exotic and find some special grain that would "pop" your eye to the center--
    or keep it straight forward and get some uniformly elegant straight grain pattern to blend in. Something that would be noticed..... but not offensive to the senses.

    If she does like the frame- then I'd consider a very thin frame- so the doors have a "lighter than air" quality to them.

    my 2¢ is worth exactly that- so have fun and thanks for posting a problem that allows us "experts" to chime in :-)

    Dave

    Settle Down People... Settle Down
15. 
    GDH2 | Jan 04, 2008 01:56am | #19

    Or maybe make it w/o doors as a display area.
    Also, FWIW, I would make the top drawer(s) 4" high.
    Post pics (jpeg) when done!

1. 
   user-83153 | Jan 04, 2008 02:34am | #20

   Thanks again for all of the ideas everyone. Sorry about the size of the attachment in the OP. I thought I re-sized it, but I guess I forgot to.

    I sketched another option if you would like to give some feedback on it or which one you prefer. I will take all of your suggestions under consideration.

   Paul (Colebear) and Dave (dtraversi), I like the idea of using a flat door as opposed to frame and panel. Especially since both the doors and the drawer faces will be veneered. I intended to put 1/8" beading around the drawers anyway and the doors will look better if they match the construction of the drawers. All will be flush fit.

   Mufti, I am blessed with a wife who will give her advice when asked and still be happy if I take it or not (at least on woodworking matters). She claims to love everything I have made.

   Jeff, thanks for the chifarobe heads up. I will google it as soon as I am done with this post.

   Bob (Salamfan), you nailed it! She saw the spice case in this months issue of FWW and thought it was a chest of drawers. So I was asked to adapt the look to the chest.

                     Rob

    

1. 
   user-83153 | Jan 04, 2008 02:38am | #21

   Oops! I forgot to attach the second sketch. Let me know what all of you think. This is very helpful to have so many creative minds to brainstorm with.

            Thanks! Rob

   
1. 
   WillGeorge | Jan 04, 2008 07:33pm | #24

   How about a full with Tambour door that opens at the center with the drawers/whatever behind?

16. 
    Dave45 | Jan 04, 2008 05:58pm | #22

    How high from the floor will these doors be?  How high from the floor are the top drawers?

    IMHO, doors below chest high and/or drawers above chest high will probably be more annoying than useful.

    Your sketch shows two roughly square drawers on each side of the doors.  How much of your stuff will fit well in these drawers?  Having four of them uses up quite a bit of the dresser with drawers that may not be very useful.

     

1. 
   Samson | Jan 04, 2008 06:19pm | #23

   Darn it, Dave.  It's just these kind of nit picky questions that keep us from moving ahead future design theory as "ground-breakingly" explored and pined-for by twotowers in his threads "Tired of Traditional" and "son of TIRED OF TRADITIONAL." 

   ;-)

1. 
   Dave45 | Jan 04, 2008 08:06pm | #25

   Awww, I'm sorry.  It's a real burden, but my design philosophy is firmly entrenched in form follows function. - lol

   I've confused many customers by talking at length about how they plan to use the piece and coming up with a design that actually does that.  Only when the functional criteria have been met do I go for "art".