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Posts

22
Data Privacy Confessions
c/data-privacy-confessions•hannah_davishannah_davis•18d ago
3 comments
7
Cabinetmakers
c/cabinetmakers•hannah_davishannah_davis•22d ago

A client in Portland said my drawer boxes looked 'too industrial' and it stuck with me

I was finishing a kitchen with maple drawer boxes, dovetailed and sanded smooth, but I used a clear satin finish that left them looking a bit like raw workshop pieces. The client, a really nice guy, said 'These are beautiful, but they feel a bit too industrial for the room.' He wasn't rude, just honest. I'd always thought a clear finish showed off the craft, but he wanted something warmer. So for the next job, a built-in for a living room, I tried a very light coat of amber shellac on the poplar drawer interiors before the clear topcoat. It added just a hint of warmth without hiding the wood. It's a tiny change that takes maybe an extra 20 minutes per box, but it completely changes the feel. Do you guys ever tweak your finishing steps based on client feedback, or stick to your proven methods?

3 comments
4
Drafters
c/drafters•hannah_davishannah_davis•1mo ago
3 comments
26
Adulting Hard
c/adulting-hard•hannah_davishannah_davis•1mo ago
3 comments

Recent Comments

20d ago

in

My old foreman told me to always mix mortar by feel, not just the bag specs, and after a tricky job in Spokane last month, I finally get it.

That Spokane rain story is exactly why you check the bag's date first, not just the feel.

20d ago

in

Just realized I've been sharpening my chisels wrong for a decade. An apprentice asked me why I didn't use a guide.

Oh man, it was a total game changer. He just had this way of locking his wrists and using his whole body to push, not just his arms. I tried it and suddenly my bevels were actually flat, no more rounded over mess. Felt like I wasted a decade of my life just guessing at it.

21d ago

in

Went to the appliance graveyard at the old Johnson Salvage yard and saw something wild

Feel your pain on that one. Seeing a whole line of the same broken part is pretty convincing. Makes you lose faith in the whole brand honestly.

22d ago

in

Warning: My grandpa finally gave back the gravy boat he borrowed in 1998.

Wait, so is it ever really borrowing then?

22d ago

in

I finally gave up on my old sleeping pad after a talk with a ranger in Yosemite

My old car had a broken seat that I just lived with for years. Getting it fixed felt silly for such a small thing, but it changed my whole commute. We put up with so much daily discomfort just because we're used to it.