This project started when the homeowners reached out with a few inspiration photos of the hall tree they wanted for their entryway. My job was to listen, measure, and figure out how to make it fit perfectly into their space. When I came by, I took careful notes on everything — the light switches, outlets, heat register, depth of the baseboard — so the final piece would clear it and sit flush and clean against the wall.
From there, I designed the build in three separate pieces to make delivery and install easier. The construction was straightforward: a little bit of pocket hole joinery, some gluing and screwing, and cutting biscuit holes so everything planes out flat together during install. I always lean toward the more robust option, so I reinforced things with pocket-screwed runner blocks under the bench and used countersunk trim-head screws to tie the top shelf into the corbels. The install itself was smooth — measure, trim, fit, glue it, shoot it, then fill the holes.
In this case, the customers wanted to handle the sanding and painting themselves. About a week later, they texted me a photo of the finished piece — and it absolutely floored me. Instead of a neutral paint job, they transformed it into something bold, beautiful, and completely unique. The client is a tattoo artist, so of course I should’ve expected it would end up as a one-of-a-kind work of art.
For me, this was the best kind of project — fun to build, rewarding to install, and a true collaboration with another creative. I’m grateful I got to play my part in bringing their vision to life.
