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Now, for instance, did you build the cabinet, too, or just the top on an existing cabinet? In any case, it's a lovely piece.
 

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Thanks a lot. I appreciate the compliment.
I only built the top for an existing cabinet.
 

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That's really quality work. I appreciate seeing the paneled end on the side of the cabinet. I've been going around and around about a TV stand I'm designing - whether to use a framed raised panel between the legs, or to just use a raised panel mortised into the legs. Seeing that pretty much confirms my first choice, but I'd love to hear your opinion.

This is how I have it imagined now:

 

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Hey rich…
In short my opinion is that most times doing this adds character, detail, maybe elegance if you will, to a piece like that you're building where you have an empty flat panel that seems to needs something. I'm going to send some pics that show an example or two of instances I've done this on projects. So I'll send them to your inbox here on LJ , ok?
 

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This is a large kitchen island and storage cabinet where I did this on the ends. This is the only pic of this project where it shows it a little



Here's one of the hickory fireplace under construction . This is more like what your project would be o suppose.

Maybe it's cheating, maybe it's brilliant…but the way I almost always do this is not by building a panel specifically for where I need one, but most of the time I will use a raised panel cabinet door either by simply gluing and fastening it directly to its location, or by deleting the end panel for example, and incorporating the door into the framework of the piece in the location I want it. Make sense the way I'm saying it?
The first pic I sent you can see that on it I used a flat panel type door and simply fastened it to the completed cabinet. Was prob the last thing I did to it before finishing. With the fireplace, I used two raised panel doors for each end. I had to trim all of them to make them go together the way I wanted the ends to look. Sometimes I think the best look is achieved by taking only the panel from a raised panel door and just using that part fastened. Additionally, I have used drawer fronts in the same way. Personally I think that all of these are methods of achieving whatever look I was after at the time. Thanks for asking for my opinion and input.
Just to be sure you know though…the island cabinet with the cherry butcher block top wasn't built by me.my customer just hired me to replace her island top with a cherry butcher block one that was food safe that she could actually use to prepare food directly on. I did take note that the ends were framed, and then the end panels, which were built separately, were then attached and trimmed at the edges with mounding.
I hope you can follow what I'm saying and what I'm trying to describe about how I use the panel doors and stuff.
 

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Makes total sense and what you're doing is exactly where I was headed in my design. Here is the full view of the piece as I have it designed in SketchUp right now. The design is based on a photo my wife found somewhere, but I've changed it up quite a bit. The original had flat panels for example. I agree with you that unless it something like a Shaker piece, it looks like it's missing something that way.

The six drawers have raised panel fronts as do the doors. I felt like the cabinet sides looked best set into rails and stiles like a door, since it's consistent with the front pieces. I'm really good at second-guessing myself though, and wondered if having just a raised panel mortised into the legs, aprons and stretchers might be more correct. Based on what I see you doing, I'm settled on keeping it the way it's drawn in SketchUp now. I appreciate having feedback from someone more experienced with furniture design.

On a side note, this will be the first time I do false-front drawer construction. I've always half-blind dovetailed the front to the sides, either flush or rabbeted. I just think it's how it should be done and looked down on pieces like in my kitchen where the drawer is just a dovetailed box with a front screwed on. I understand it from a production cost standpoint but it wasn't something I was going to do in my work. For this though, since the drawer is paneled, the inside of the drawer front would look dumb. The panel will sit flush to the rails and stiles back there, but won't be fully touching the rails and stiles.



Here's what I was trying to describe about the back of the drawer front:



And finally, the X-ray view from the back of it:

 

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