Many people question the value of customizing a piece of furniture or hardware when a similar item may be available for immediate purchase. Take a look at the latest incarnation of our limited edition Ascot Tallboy and you will clearly see the value of a custom piece. This piece was commissioned by architectural designer Jan McHugh of JBM Designs. Jan works in the Chicago and Indianapolis areas and can be reached via email at jbmdesigns@icloud.com. This tallboy is intended for her clients who are the proud owners of an incredible art collection. The interior of the tallboy was customized to hold their prized Victrola and store their valuable collection of "78's". Coincidentally, this is #78 in a limited edition of 100 and it is going to be used to store 78's...clearly meant to be!
In order to properly support the Victrola and still enjoy the beautiful japanning details we adjusted the placement and allowed the pattern to wrap around the sides of the cabinet instead of across the top. We also wanted to make the pull more of a focal point so chose to use the medium sized scarab pull from our Animal collection of custom architectural hardware.
martin pierce ascot tallboy number 78 of 100 side view
As usual, the tallboy is crafted from English brown oak and darkened chiseled walnut. You may remember that Martin likes English brown oak for the lovely golden amber hue and the "leopard spots", or dark brown markings that are part of the character of this particular wood. These brown spots are a result of a fungus that the English brown oak tree suffers from or supports, depending on how you look at it.
The interior of the cabinet was also customized to house the sleeves of the unique record collection.
martin pierce ascot tallboy number 78 of 100 interior view customized for client record colleciton
As you can see, a ready to purchase cabinet would not have met the unique needs of this client but being able to request specific design and function details will make it possible for them to enjoy not only a beautiful piece of furniture but store and display their prized record collection.
To view other items from our custom furniture collection and our bespoke hardware collection, visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.