A Provincial French China Cabinet for a Rancho Santa Fe, CA, home

A woman called me interested in a Provincial French china cabinet for her home. She found me on the internet and wanted to meet with me to discuss her ideas. She had some pictures and a rough concept drawing by an interior designer she was working with.

At our meeting we discussed location, size, function, types of wood, glass, metal and hardware, along with the looks and styles she prefers. This is something I do with everyone I initially meet so I can get a feel for the home's style as well as the client's likes and dislikes. It really helps me to narrow down one or two design options to present to them at our next meeting. I told her I would do some scale drawings and get back to her soon.

At our second meeting, I presented my drawings (which are all done by hand, by the way) along with wood, glass, metal and hardware samples. She loved my drawings and gave me her approval to go ahead with the project.

I had chosen figured walnut, a beautiful wood that came from France one of my suppliers had found, which she thought was absolutely perfect for the piece. The design included a serpentine front to the lower half of the cabinet, forged metal details (on the shelves holding the plates) and antique glass. The handmade iron hardware I chose for this piece is from France. Every detail was done to the max, and the piece was made of solid wood including the drawers, shelves, and back, as it would have been made in that period.

It is a new heirloom piece that will last and be appreciated and handed down for hundreds of years. I have continued to work with this client from Rancho Santa Fe over the years, creating many different things for her home such as fireplace mantels, chandeliers, and cabinetry.