Without beautiful custom-made joinery, even the largest room wouldn’t be more than a box. That’s what Bruce Hodgson, founder of Artichoke Ltd., which specializes in architectural joinery, thinks.
“Beautifully designed joinery can add drama to an interior, employing light and shade to add depth, as well as framing important openings and features,” he says. “It can also play a vital role in manipulating proportions.”
He believes that the traditional art of carpentry in interior design—respecting the rules of classic design detail, scale, proportion, joints, and shade to create bespoke joinery—is an art worth the investment.
Architectural carpentry design at one point is a highly skilled discipline but in the wrong hands, it can lead to dull and uninspiring results.
Contemporary joinery is faster to design and manufacture while traditional details intimidate many designers. However, with the increasing focus on waste of materials, there is more focus on investing in aspects that are built to last. Bruce believes that “after 20 years of extraordinary technological change, society is eager to get back to work with their own hands”.
How to do detailed carpentry
If you’re considering built-in storage ideas, consider custom-made joinery. It’s a financial commitment so it’s worth doing some basic work beforehand.
Detailed boot room joinery designed by Henriette von Stockhausen and made by Artichoke Ltd
(Image credit: VSP Interiors)
“The point with bespoke carpentry is that it’s designed to suit your needs – not anyone else’s,” explains interior designer Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors.
Think about the materials right first: Choose a sustainable source of wood if that’s important but keep in mind that the stability of alternatives like MDF suit some spaces, including those prone to moisture, such as bathroom counters.
Henriette adds, “Make sure you initially specify where you want outlets/sockets for sockets, or charge trays because they are expensive to modify.”
Finally, stay away from trends. You might get bored close to the edge of my clamshell. You’re doing this for the long haul, so sticking with classic designs is my advice.
Tailor-made joinery for VSP Interiors by Artichoke Ltd
(Image credit: VSP Interiors)
Custom carpentry commissioning for small spaces
Bathroom joinery was designed and executed by Erin Gunter of Gunter & Co. Styling, Hannah Franklin
(Photo credit: Gunter & Co/Mary Wadsworth)
Gorgeous bathroom storage ideas are worth their weight in gold, think interior designer Erin Gunter of Gunter & Co.
“I love being able to design proportional furniture to match the style and size of the room and hide everything else.” She prefers to use discreet reflective cabinets to achieve this ensemble in any breaks. In a recent project, they used the same treatment to build a sunken towel cabinet.
“When planning a bathroom design, every bit of wall construction is worth the cost of custom joinery because it means leaving beautiful surfaces and fixtures clutter-free which makes the bathroom a quiet and relaxing place.”
Bathroom joinery was designed and executed by Erin Gunter of Gunter & Co. Styling, Hannah Franklin
(Photo credit: Gunter & Co)
Commissioning carpentry for home offices
Built-in daybed in joinery in the Empire Suite at Four Seasons New York Downtown by Tara Bernard & Company
(Photo credit: Tara Bernard Design/Joe Thomas)
While some hate the idea, guest bedrooms are increasingly doubling as vibrant home workspaces. This can be done neatly by including a traditional dressing table or writing desk in the space.
“But another option is to build a mid-century-inspired desk, in a soft leather finish, into a larger joinery piece in the bedroom,” suggests interior designer Tara Bernard.
It is important to first understand what is the priority of the room – will it often serve as a guest room or office? If it’s the latter, consider building a daybed in carpentry, suggests Tara who used this approach when she recently remodeled a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown.
“By moving the desk to the window, this allowed us to integrate a luxurious daybed into a joinery unit, which can sometimes double as a children’s bed, while also taking advantage of the stunning views.”
commissioning floor-to-ceiling storage
(Image credit: Kathryn Polley)
Think carefully about storage in the planning stages of a design project and make sure every nook and cranny is used, especially in children’s bedrooms.
One trick is to use the full length of the wall space so that fitted joinery and display shelves maximize the display’s storage space, recommend Katie Glaster and Henry Miller Robinson of K&H Design.
“We encourage customers to work out in advance how many items should be stowed away by metering all shoes, clothing, books, etc. to ensure the design fits everything.”
unify the fitted joinery by painting it the same color as the wall to give the illusion of more space; In this case, the team at K&H Design used Light Blue from Farrow & Ball
(Image credit: K&H Design)
Mistakes to avoid when operating custom-made joinery
Be careful with custom-made joinery sizing because it’s something people often get wrong, says Mark Hollis of Hollis Ross London
(Photo credit: Hollis Ross London)
Scale is something many people get wrong, thinks Mark Hollis of Hollis Ross London, a residential construction and renovation company.
A lot of times it is just that the woodworking ends up being excessive rather than being too small. Ambitions of trying to stuff too much storage space can leave you with a towering piece of furniture that makes a room feel claustrophobic.
Creating something of lasting beauty takes time – time to imagine, time to design and time to manufacture, believe the Artichoke Ltd team
(Image credit: artichokes)
Next, focus on the details – which can make the difference between great and upscale furniture. With lighted carpentry, consider getting the right light intensity and color temperatures; Spend a little more on carpentry “jewels” like iron tools and knobs; Any painted finishes were considered carefully.
The factory finish requires very careful transportation and installation so as not to damage it. On the contrary, the on-site hand-painting process can be time consuming and should be well executed.