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Office Credenza Build
Building a Custom Office Credenza
Creating furniture for repeat clients is always a pleasure. They trust you to deliver quality work consistently, and it's gratifying to know that your craftsmanship is appreciated. Recently, I worked on a custom corner office desk for a client, which you can view [here](insert link). For this project, the client requested a matching credenza to complement the desk.
Credenza Design
The design philosophy for the corner desk involved using ambrosia maple for the base and frame, with clear maple for the top. For this credenza, I decided to follow the same approach—ambrosia maple for the base and clear maple for the top.
The base of the credenza will feature a frame and panel construction, with the panels crafted from clear maple and the rest from ambrosia maple. My client had specific requirements: they wanted seven inches of clearance beneath the credenza to accommodate a guitar in its case. Additionally, they desired two outer cabinet doors and a series of drawers in the center section. Finally, the credenza had to fit precisely into a designated niche in the office. Based on this feedback, I sketched out the overall design.
Credenza Materials
In my region of Atlanta, sourcing lumber can be somewhat limiting. Typically, I can only find ambrosia maple in 8/4 or 4/4 thicknesses. Ideally, I would have preferred 5/4 or 6/4 stock, but that wasn’t available to me.
You might wonder why I didn’t resaw the 8/4 stock. Even after milling, you’d be left with pieces closer to 3/4 inch thick, which would likely suffice but wouldn’t meet my preference for a thicker frame, closer to 1 inch. Therefore, I used 8/4 lumber for all the frame pieces and milled them down to approximately 1.75 inches thick. The clear maple panels were milled to a final thickness of 1/4 inch.
Credenza Construction
With the plans and materials in hand, construction began. I broke the credenza into its primary components: four main legs/posts, four long rails for the front and back, and four shorter rails for the sides. Four vertical stiles were also needed for the front and back to divide the cabinet areas from the drawers.
Here are several of those parts, ready for sanding before assembly. For the joinery of the case work, I utilized my Festool Domino.
Once the joinery was complete, I performed a dry fit to get a sense of the credenza’s overall appearance. As seen in the photo below, it still appears quite boxy at this stage. Next, I’ll apply a slight taper to the four main legs and add a slight curve to the bottom of the front, lower apron. These adjustments will enhance the aesthetics, softening the piece’s appearance.
[Insert Photo of Dry Fit]
After achieving the desired fit, I focused on refining certain details. I slightly curved the bottom front rail and tapered the legs. These changes significantly reduce the boxiness of the credenza.
Additionally, I installed two partitions inside the case. These partitions not only separate the side cabinets from the drawers but also serve as mounting points for the full-extension drawer glides.
The side cabinet drawers are constructed in a frame-and-panel configuration, with solid figured maple panels. Here’s a photo of the doors dry fitted into the case.
[Insert Photo of Credenza with Doors]
In this image, you can see the tapered legs, the curved apron, and the drawer partitions. The drawers decrease in size progressively from the bottom to the top.
Next, I removed the doors to pre-finish the panels. Since the panels are solid wood, pre-finishing ensures that seasonal wood movement won’t expose unfinished sections. Once the finish dried, I glued the doors together and finished them as well. Notice the figure in these maple panels!
[Insert Photo of Finished Doors]
The drawer boxes are made from solid poplar, with solid maple drawer fronts. Here’s a photo of the drawer boxes in the case, with the doors attached.
[Insert Photo of Credenza with Drawers]
Wrapping It Up!
After fitting all the drawer fronts, I attached them to the drawer boxes using screws from the back. Then, I positioned and mounted the drawer pulls.
Finally, the solid maple top completed the piece. While simple, the one-inch-thick top features a chamfer detail on the underside to break up the solid lines.
Here are a few photos of the finished credenza!
[Insert Photos of Completed Credenza]
Conclusion
I’m extremely pleased with how this credenza turned out, and my client was thrilled with the result. They quickly filled it with books and decorative items, creating a cohesive look alongside the matching corner desk.
Thank you for following along with this project. If you enjoyed it, let me know in the comments!
*Disclosure:* Some links in this post are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links. Your support is greatly appreciated!
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