For this week’s tutorial, we’re discussing joinery. Joinery makes up a huge part of items that we specify in a home, as it encompasses everything from kitchen cabinets to wardrobes, bathroom vanity units to bespoke bench seating. We are often asked if joinery is worth investing in, as it can make up a significant bulk of the budget. Almost always, our answer is yes - if done properly and with a purpose it can be a space-saving, practical and striking design feature. Whether traditional or contemporary there are many aspects to consider – today, we’re putting the spotlight on three key points to think about.
1. Firstly, you’ll need to define the practical requirements. In most cases joinery serves a purpose – for example storage, display, to house equipment, or as the frame for a fireplace or TV. Another example is wardrobes – you’ll initially need to consider how many metres of tall and short hanging storage you need. Then, depending on your height, you must decide the minimum and maximum heights to hang your rails that will give you the most efficient use of the space.
2. Joinery is also an opportunity to incorporate different materials and textures into your space. Too often, it is thought that joinery can only have a basic veneer or lacquer finish. In actual fact it can be an opportunity to bring in specialist finishes such a liquid metal, wallpaper, resin, cracked gesso, glass or timber. It’s important to build a network of different specialists in your library, so that you can give your clients a wide range of finishes that they may never have considered.
3. Lighting inbuilt to your joinery is another chance to get creative with your space. It’s not always necessary to use LEDs - small spot lights can highlight a specific sculpture or accessory to make them pop on the shelf. Wall lights can be incorporated into more traditional joinery features, or you can even make the lighting a feature of the joinery itself as a piece of the installation.
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