Winner! Old World Wardrobe

By washburn_morning_wood in Washburn, WI.

Winning Category

Everything of lasting quality is simple.  For a Shaker inspired wardrobe I wanted this built as solid as a rock, looming as you enter the room. Sharp lines, deep wood tones, and a soft sheen were achieved beautifully on this piece.  One wiped on coat of Medium Walnut Danish Oil for color, topped with four wiped on coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal in Satin did wonders.   

For the panels & trim, I selected from the prized stack of Wisconsin harvested old-growth Pine.  Salvaged from bleacher boards my high school pulled out, to be replaced with new plastic ones.  The Red Elm rail-and-style material came to me in an exchange for labor.  Harvested by an old arborist in Minnesota -- drying for decades before I was born, twisted and checked from exposure. 

Keeping with the Shaker tradition, frame and panel construction suited the carcass well.  Hundreds of individually bored holes for joints reinforced with loose tenons (dowel joints mainly).  Finished with a basic crown and base to add a little depth.  Only deviation from the old world style are the soft close hinges and drawer slides. 

One of my longest running projects to date, done in the background of life and work and learning.  Proud to finish this recently and happy to share.       

Project Category

Products Used

  • Watco's Danish Oil: Medium Walnut
  • Arm-R-Seal
  • Rustoleum Painter's Touch Hunter Green Paint