It is difficult to come up with a unique design for something as basic as shelving. This turned into a bit of an engineering challenge... to come up with a light and airy feel and still be strong enough not to collapse under its own weight let alone in use. To accomplish this I used a combination of modern and traditional joinery techniques to lock all of the pieces in place. I knew I got it right as I dry fit (no glue) all of the pieces and it held sturdy.
The piece is made from two walnut bands (thus the name “Band” It shelving, get it?) surrounding three solid slabs of madrone. Each band is locked together with hand cut dovetails and the shelves are locked in-between the bands with floating tenons.
The rich color of the walnut is contrasted by brilliant blond and orange-red color variation in the madrone. To bring out the vibrant color, I finished the shelves with my usual oil-wax.
