I had a customer ask me if I could create and construct a storage cupboard with shelving and separate compartments within her existing summer house so that guests and owners had separate areas to store their beach goods and barbecue things
The summer house is relatively new and constructed in the log cabin style and was presently just one large internal space in which everything was stored in a bit of a chaotic manner and this needed to be organised and still leave enough room for push bikes etc
I have completed various other work for this client before so after my initial visit and discussions I came up with the idea to construct the shelving with pine batten, spacing them out to allow any sand to fall through and not get accumulated on the shelves – this would also allow the air to circulate within this space so that anything damp would be able to dry out – the doors were made in a similar pattern to allow the free flow of air
I took some measurements and completed a rough sketch for the client so we could agree the design and then the construction process could begin, I collected the timber required and booked a start date into the diary
On the day I made a start the client had a slight change to the plan so instead of having three equally sized compartments she wanted to divide the space into four slightly smaller ones with the fourth area left without shelving so that tall surf boards and body boards could be stood up – the only difference in the work that I had to do was to construct an extra door but otherwise everything was to be as agreed previously
I made up three frames using 50 x 50mm pine and fitted them into place then fitted the shelving supports and then the 50 x 25mm slats which I screwed into position so that they were secure and then the only thing left to do was to fit a division within one of the areas to separate this from the others which I did using 9mm MDF boards, sanded everything smooth dusted down and cleaned up
I took the required measurements for the four doors to be built and went back to the workshop where I constructed them in a ledged and braced style – it was easier for me to do this in the workshop up on the bench as now the shelving had been built the space was limited, then once they were complete and sanded I took them to site and fitted them using T- hinges and simple hasp and staple locks as the client wanted to secure them shut using small combination padlocks to avoid the necessity for any keys
I ended up once again with a very happy customer and had an email a few days later to say how pleased she was and included a testimonial for me to include in my blog
“We urgently needed some lockable storage at our home for both our own use and for our guests to use whilst they are on holiday. Without a suitable space in the house we decided to investigate having some cupboards made in the summerhouse. I asked Richard to come over and he was very quick to say how easy it would be to make some good cupboards with shelving, doors and locks which would be perfect for all of the beach kit that it would be used for.
After measuring up, Richard came back promptly with a sketch and initial costings and we discussed a few different options for materials and locks and Richard made sure it all stayed within a realistic budget.
We agreed a mutually convenient time when Richard could come and install, having done some of the work at his workshop. It all went really smoothly and although it’s probably not Richard’s most prestigious piece of work (even for us) I can honestly say we are so pleased and it makes a huge difference to us and our guests! The cupboards allow damp things to dry out, sand not to get trapped in awkward spaces and different heights and sizes to accommodate everything up to surfboards and windbreaks.
Richard is always such a pleasure to work with and make the process really easy, and we can highly recommend him.”
