This was a special request from my sister as an anniversary present for her husband. Part of the design challenge was to make something that could be a viable product to sell, which means it needs to be easy enough to make while also looking really good.

The joinery on this project is fairly straightforward, on the main carcass I used through dovetails because they will easily hold the weight of the five wine bottles while also being a joint I can easily cut with machinery. Each shelf is tied into the carcass using dados, again a smile but effective joint.

One area where I got a little fancy was with the back panel. For a long time now I’ve been holding on to a really beautiful piece of white oak that has some crazy grain. After getting the green light from my sister, I took a section of this wood and made a bookmatched panel, it’s a subtle touch but it really is a beautiful touch.