I built this bar cabinet for a pair of newlywed Queens-dwelling cocktail enthusiasts. It provides easy access to their extensive bottle and glassware collection and includes a small, fold-out cocktail prep area, as well as allowing for customization of the shelf layout to keep everything compact and organized. The styling and luxurious details evoke the romance of New York's Art Deco period, combining a classic palette of deep teal, hand-rubbed walnut, bright gloss white, and mirror-polished brass in modern geometric forms, all contained in a practical, rectilinear body.
Baltic ply, walnut, glass, brass details and hardware.
I started by putting together a moodboard for my "clients" to define the colors, materials, and general vibe of the piece. After figuring out their rough space and capacity needs, I sketched through different organizational schemes, construction methods, and styling approaches. I built a detailed dimensional model in SolidWorks and rendered it in Blender to confirm the look
Luckily I had access to a full shop and CNC for the first phase of construction, though I was in the end limited to working in a driveway, and final assembly and finishing was done in the basement. The fabrication process was full of twists and learnings as I navigated my first serious cabinetry project, it turned out very clean given the circumstances!
The piece was transported to the City in the back of a Subaru, and then to the clients' third-floor walkup, where these photos were taken:
