Sketch to Reality: Mid-Century Modern Record Cabinet Build

Mid-Century Modern Record Cabinet

This project blends functional design and craftsmanship to create a mid-century-inspired record cabinet that serves as both a piece of furniture and a sculptural artwork.
Built from American Walnut, the cabinet unites precision joinery, thoughtful ergonomics, and aesthetic balance — designed to house a vinyl collection and turntable while elevating the visual harmony of a living space.

Design Concept

The record cabinet was envisioned as a functional centerpiece, combining storage and art in one cohesive form.
Its proportions and surface geometry were refined to maintain a low, balanced stance — allowing the piece to integrate naturally with vintage stereo components and contemporary interiors alike.

Key objectives:

• Accommodate turntable, amplifier, and vinyl collection in an intuitive layout
• Employ sustainable hardwood and enduring joinery techniques
• Achieve visual lightness through curved elements and open shadow lines
• Design an heirloom-quality object that stands as both functional and artistic

Material Selection

• Wood Species: American Walnut — chosen for its warmth, dimensional stability, and natural chatoyance that deepens over time.
• Hardware: Brass accent pulls and concealed rare-earth magnetic catches for minimalist detailing.
• Sliding Doors: Designed and fabricated tambour-style doors from continuous walnut slats — allowing seamless curvature and motion while visually tying the entire facade together.

Design & Build Process

1. Digital Planning – Modeled the cabinet in SketchUp to finalize internal dimensions and tambour track geometry.
2. Joinery Precision – Utilized dowel joinery for invisible reinforcement and square alignment of frame members.
3. Tambour Fabrication – Routed slat edges and applied canvas backing to enable flexible, smooth door operation within curved tracks.
4. Assembly – Built the carcass with inset base supports for weight distribution and floated back panels for expansion control.
5. Finishing Touches – Added vibration-damping isolation feet and hidden cable routing for audio components.

Surface Finishing

• Applied clear lacquer for natural color enhancement
• Hand-rubbed finish for a satin, durable finish
• Final polishing with fine cloth for soft, tactile sheen

Design Philosophy

The cabinet embodies functional minimalism — a union of utility and aesthetic restraint.
Its design language draws from mid-century modern principles: clean lines, honest materials, and a celebration of form following function.

Skills Demonstrated

• Furniture design and dimensional optimization
• Custom tambour door fabrication
• Joinery layout and precision woodworking
• Finishing and color control on American Walnut
• Integration of functional hardware and user-centered design

Materials & Tools Summary