One table or three

I had a client who bought a High end coffee table.($2750.00), turned out to be to big for the room.

She loved the table but it just would not fit in the room and there was nowhere else to put it(the house was already packed, down sized from a bigger house).

She asked ” Could you cut it down somehow”?

” Some how” I said?

“You know to make it smaller”.

“Maybe” I said.

I explained I could not make any Guarantees, but that I would try if she understood she may just end up with a box full of scrap. She said she did. I said that ’s great and I asked her for a check to cover expenses while exploring whether it was possible. I have in the past modified kitchen cabinets and reworked furniture, but this was bordering on the brink of being cheaper just to build what she wanted. I had a good idea what was involved.
After I had the check and I think the reality of the Project was sinking in she asked what I thought the cost might be, If possible . I said somewhere around $2500.00-$3000.00. She thought a minute and said “O.K.”

There were several factors that made the cabinet modification possible and that importance cannot be overlooked or their importance underestimated.

The cabinet was very well made, it disassembled into its main components,(the top, drawer carcase, and base) and probably most important the finish.

The cabinet was very well made, square and accurately assembled, using good joinery techniques and quality materials. I was able to disassemble the cabinet into its components that could be worked on without falling apart or moving out of square and parallel. The most important factor, in my opinion, was the finish. The distressed finish allowed me to conceal all the modifications inconspicuously. Unfortunately this is my weakest area of expertise.

The hardest part of the project turned out to be the reworking of the drawers. The most stressful for me was matching the finish.

In retrospect, at first I thought this was just crazy to even consider doing this because the table was brand spanking new and expensive. But, essentially, the client for twice the cost of the original table got three times the product and to her that made sense and the project feasible.

So pull up a chair and a cup of coffee, or favorite adult beverage and enjoy. Don’t miss the crackle glaze craze as you sit and watch paint dry.

-- Chips and Shavings/ see you at WWW.underconstructionlive.com