The Mahogany Buffet is an original design made for clients of Lifestyle Interiors of The Plains, Virginia. I made it to match the look, color, and style of other large impressive pieces in a client’s dining room. In other words…it had to be impressive yet look like it had always been there.
The construction of this buffet posed several challenges. Its large size (9 ½’ in length) called for a modular design. The center-module and two rounded end-modules were transported separately and then assembled on-site before the single-piece granite tabletop was installed. The door panels are crotch-grain African mahogany, made of consecutive veneer cuts from the same log for a consistent grain pattern across the piece. Curved door and cabinet components are bent laminations. The curved door panels are bendable plywood sandwiched between veneers.
The design called for the ability to store and easily access a large volume of heavy items within the buffet. The center section holds six large dovetailed maple drawers on concealed heavy-duty fully extendable slides. The rounded end sections hold 2 shelves. The tabletop is sized to accommodate large buffet settings. The brass door pulls and hinges are from WhiteChapel LTD. Photography is by Mona Botwick.
The color, sheen, and texture of the finish had to match the other pieces in the room. I began by mixing an oil-based stain from a variety of aniline dyes to match the color. Surface preparation called for scraping erratic grain areas, and then sanding all parts through successive grits to 220. The stain was applied, and I allowed several days for the oil to fully cure. Next came a sealer coat of shellac (Zinsser SealCoat) followed by multiple coats of General Finishes Gloss Arm-R-Seal urethane. I carefully sanded with 320 grit paper between coats. The final 2 coats were a 50/50 mix of satin and semi-gloss Arm-R-Seal, which was necessary to match the sheen of other pieces in the room. A hand-rubbed coat of Minwax Paste Furniture Wax completed the finish.
