Our Favorite Project

We were commissioned to design, create, build and hand paint a large “treasure” chest to hold wedding cards at a customer’s reception.  We were provided with all the details, from size, floral design and colors and we went to work creating a stunning masterpiece.  Take a look and see how we went about the process.

The very first part of the chest to be built was the top.  My husband began by cutting strips of poplar wood and strategically angled each individual one and pieced them together to form the curved lid.

 

He then created the frame that surrounds the lid, and sanded it to an ultra smooth finish.  In the meantime, while he was creating his magic, I had been working on the design that the customer requested.  She sent pictures of her invitations and reply cards, and I incorporated the pattern into the completed design for the lid...

...and then the border for the sides of the box.  Shown here is just the front, but the design continues around the entire box, surrounding all four sides.

Once the pattern is in place, it's ready to be carefully traced onto the chest with graphite paper and a stylus.  I then worked on the colors according to the customer's preferences and emailed pictures of painted samples for her approval.  She chose bright color variations of purple, orange and pink.  

 

 Here is the completed lid...

 

The expertly crafted chest was then protected with four coats of polyurethane and this is the final, finished chest ready for the customer's wedding.

With pride, we share the customer's comments:

" I received the chest in perfect condition and absolutely love everything about it! The design is even more beautiful than pictures could do justice, and the craftsmanship is impeccable. Truly, I am so beyond impressed with the work you and your husband have done. I can see how much you love what you do, because it shows in your creations.