The commission
The brief was an heirloom-scale piece that read as contemporary rather than a period reproduction. Hard maple's tight, even grain gave a cleaner, quieter field than the traditional cherry or mahogany highboy stock, and a thin walnut cock-bead frames each of the eight drawer fronts — a period detail kept because it genuinely protects the drawer front edge from wear, not just for the look.
All eight drawers are graduated in height and hand-fitted individually; none are interchangeable. Drawer bottoms float in a groove, unglued, to allow the full width to move seasonally.