Rhode Island Walnut Vanity
- Taylor Souter
- Jul 12, 2015
- 2 min read
While waiting for the plumbing and fixtures to be installed on the other vanities; we were finally able to take some pictures of a Walnut vanity we did over the winter for a home in Rhode Island. This piece went into the same house as the doors, stairs, and balcony railing we did, all of which were made in Cherry.
Black Walnut is one of the most prized wood species that is indigeneous to North America. It is popular among woodworkers for its workability and its rich brown hues, which really separates it from all the others. It's in such high demand that it's fairly tough to find top grade lumber as a majority of it is sold at a premium and exported out of the country. It took over an hour to hand pick just one board from the local lumber yard that we felt would meet our expectations. Since every tree is unique, that means that every piece of lumber is different as well. It was pertinent that we chose a stick of Walnut that would match the veneer in color as closely as possible, thus avoiding any drastic contrast between the frame and panels. We chose to use sequenced Walnut veneer laid up on MDF for the door and drawer fronts because it is more stable than plywood, less susceptible to warping and twisting, and has zero voids in the core for the veneer to bubble or peel. By taking a little extra time and forethought we were able to bookmatch every panel and create a discernible pattern, a telltale sign of custom woodwork.
The client designed a full wall cabinet flanking the double sinks on the right hand side. To add visual interest, they called for a 1.5" wide by 1" thick face frame around the perimeter of the cabinet. This created an elegant set back, which resulted in a countertop that avoided the awkward overhang where it butts into the full wall cabinet. To add a modern touch to this vanity, a 4" thick custom concrete countertop was poured; both sinks molded within the counter to allow for a seamless and sleek interface. This project came together nicely and we are very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to help someone build their dream home.
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