Faraway Places in Your Custom Cabinets

Have an exotic inspiration for custom cabinets?  How about a custom china cabinet or sideboard influenced by designs from Tibet, Japan, or farther afield? Whether the spark comes from your travels, a book, or a film, you can find a CustomMade artisan to bring your custom made cabinetry to life.  Here are a just a few pieces inspired by faraway places.

“Being stared at” is certainly one function for this striking Tibetan display cabinet by Cabinetmaker Birdie Miller that features vibrant, eye-catching colors and crackle lacquer accents.  The adjustable glass shelves and interior dimmer lights are perfect for displays.  You can also remove the shelves and house a flat-screen TV behind the bi-fold glass cabinet doors.  “You have to be a wild person to enjoy this piece,” writes artisan Birdie Miller.  This cabinet is a combination of the colorful porches of Victorian “Painted Lady” homes and Tibetan architectural style.  Contact Birdie and commission your own custom designed cabinetry.

Tibetan Display Cabinet by Cabinetmaker Birdie Miller at CustomMade.com

Furniture maker Mark Love of Mark Love Furniture explains how the cherry Edo sideboard came to be:

The general concept of this piece came from the client, and he was a real joy to work with.  In his travels he had seen something similar in Japanese homes, where the lower shelf was used as a place to store shoes.  He came to the studio and we sat down together with two pencils and some paper and traded drawings until we got it right.  We also worked together on a very large Japanese art display.

If you’ve ever seen a piece of furniture abroad that you wished you could take home, contact Mark and describe it to him so you can have a custom reproduction built.

Edo Sideboard by Mark Love Furniture at CustomMade.com

This solid cherry and beveled glass china cabinet by Daniel Brisson of Brisson Woodworking combines Craftsman furniture style with an ancient Asian bridge design.  Daniel can design and create a project for you from inception to completion or he can bring your creative vision to life.  Share your inspirations and needs with Daniel and add one-of-a-kind cabinetry to your home.

China Cabinet by Brisson Woodworking at CustomMade.com

Are the stars your destination? Sirius and the three stars that create the belt in the constellation Orion, as well as the cultures of the Dogon and Hopi, initially inspired John Wiggers of Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. to design the Digitaria/Blue Star credenza.  The interior is constructed of natural maple plywood; the dovetailed drawers are made from solid maple; the top is an inset of back painted glass; the base is stainless steel.  This piece was featured in 500 Cabinets: A Showcase of Design and Craftsmanship by Ray Hemachandra and John Grew Sheridan.

Digitaria-Blue Star Credenza by Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. at CustomMade.com

According to John’s brother, Daryl, there are other far-out inspirations for this piece:

The inspiration for his design came from having seen images of the Wally 118 powerboat (mentioned briefly in this video) and he often described his concept this way: “If Darth Vader was a pirate this would be his boat… and this (the Digitaria) would be his treasure chest.”

So Daryl created “Slide Wars,” a parody video featuring the Digitaria for the 2009 Furniture Society Conference.

It’s flattering that the Dark Lord of the Sith goes custom.  Contact John and you, too, can have custom cabinets made for your household.

Whether your creative spark comes from a galaxy far, far away or just across the globe, submit your ideas for custom made cabinetry through our “Get it Made” job board.  CustomMade artisans interested in working with you on your project will then contact you.