Woodworker's Journal fall-2010, страница 37
If you carry the sticking profile over to the outer edges of your doors, they'll have added flair. Match the profile, or use the reverse here: a roundover inside complemented by a cove around the perimeter. Frames don't have to be limited to two stiles and two rails. A third divider stile will break your panel space in two —it can help to deemphasize really wide doors. A third rail, on the other hand, creates an over/under panel style. Consider curving the inner rail for a softer line and shaping the panels to match it. Panel Possibilities: Door panels give you the chance to be understated and traditional or playful and funky, with a range of possibilities in between. It depends on the effect you want. Bill uses flat panels for his cabinets — a lovely, if austere, Shaker-inspired design. But even flat-panel doors leave some room for creativity. Instead of using the same wood species for both frame and panel, consider building each from contrasting wood. Figure and grain can also add "pop": for instance, flatsawn maple frames with bird's-eye or spalted panels. Take flat panels in a different direction with texture, color and detailing. Beadboard panels lend charm to country cabinets; painted MDF panels can match an accent color in the room. Carving, intarsia (hey, you're a woodworker!), routed patterns or inlay strips are other possibilities. Raised panels give your doors a more crafted look than flat panels, and they'll never go out of style. Here, your profiling options for shaping the panel edges will depend on the raised-panel cutters. Various coves, ogees or flat bevels are available. If you'd rather not invest in an expensive panel cutter, use your table saw. A standard blade is all you need to cut beveled edges. Maybe building a kitchen's worth of cabinet doors is more work than you have time for. Did you know you can buy made-to-order cabinet doors? Just build the boxes and order the doors to fit them. Glass and Hardware Considerations Divided glass lites are an elegant alternative to solid-wood panels. They make the contents of your cabinets part of their allure. Clear tempered glass is a good choice, but glass comes in many other styles too: seeded, reeded, krinkled, bevel-edged, frosted, colored, opaque ... You could even hire a glass artist to make up stained-glass panels to fit your door frames. Kick your raised-panel doors up a notch by substituting figured wood for flat grain on the center panel. Flat-panel doors are ideal for Arts & Crafts styling. Quartersawn oak (and Mission hardware) are fitting details. Glass can showcase the contents of your cabinets or hide it, depending on its texture, color and opacity. Contrasting woods or divided panels can add refreshing pizzazz if you're willing to be a little daring. Finally, a word on hardware. Woodworking supply catalogs and websites are spilling over with hinge, pull and knob options. A little research could reveal the perfect porcelain knob or Stickley pull your new doors deserve. Be sure to consider the hinges. They may seem insignificant, but you'd be surprised how much better a solid-brass ball-tip hinge looks than a stamped and plated cheaper option. Don't skimp on these details. Cabinet doors are so much more than box covers, especially with Euro-style cabinets. Doors (and drawer fronts) offer a chance to elevate your custom cabinetry far above the humdrum, home-center fare. Take the challenge and have fun with it! & / Fall 2010 37 |
