When you look at a piece of furniture do you think of the planning and detail it takes to create? Probably not, yet it might surprise you how much there is to consider in what may seem like a simple cabinet or shelf. Take a look at this whimsical shelving unit we created for Holiday Park Nature Center.

During design and fabrication we asked ourselves the following questions:

• How do we match the aesthetics of the surrounding environment?

• How do we make it fun for children?

• How do we make it durable?

• What materials do we use?

• How do we build it with curved shelves?

When building exhibit furniture and casework it’s all about the details. You may need period-style furniture to match a bookshelf that Lewis and Clark may have had around.

You may need furniture that rolls out of the way so an event can be held in that space. (more photos)

You may need to match architectural elements like this craftsman-style we did at Rend Lake.

Additional considerations for museum furniture include:

• Artifact conservation

• Light sensitivity

• Humidity controls

• Security

• Accessibility

• Lighting

• Artifact and fossil mounting

• Green material (LEED Certification)

• Durability

• Moveable cases

Having over two decades of experience in designing and building casework and cabinetry for museums led us to offer this product and service to our local market.

We offer frameless cabinets and more. These types of cabinets have a sleek, seamless design and offer more storage than framed cabinets. Commercial cabinets use many of the same design decisions and details as the museum world:

• What type of doors?

• What type of hinges?

• What edge banding will be used?

• Is it laminate or stained wood?

• What hardware will work best?

• How will it be installed?

Designed by Spectrum Design

Just like museum furniture, commercial casework needs to balance beauty and functionality. The next time you look at a piece of shelving, storage furniture or cabinets consider the great deal of thought and design that went in to creating the final product.