2010 Craftsman's Challenge winners announced

Scott Grove of Green Grove Design, Rochester, N.Y., earned the Grand Prize and took the Cabinetry category for his Ski Media Cabinets in the Sixth Annual Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge sponsored by CabinetMakerFDM magazine. Grove’s cabinets feature a variety of veneers including amboyna burl, quilted maple, sapele and wenge.
2010 Veneer Tech Craftsman's Challenge Woodworking Competition winners include:
Grand Prize/Cabinetry
Scott Grove, Green Grove Design, Rochester, N.Y.
Distributor, Certainly Wood of East Aurora, N.Y.; Sales representative, Greg Engle
Architectural Woodworking
Albert Grant, Albert S. Grant Fine Woodworking and Design, Melrose, Conn.
Furniture
Abdolhay Parnian, Parnian Furniture, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Store Fixtures
Abdolhay Parnian, Parnian Furniture, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Specialty Items
Rob Milam, VeneerImages, Atlanta, Ga.
Student Design
Christy Oates, San Diego State University
Honorable Mention
Mark Bernhard, Bernhard Woodwork, Northbrook, Ill.
Tom Knoebel, Beach Cabinets, LLC, Melbourne, Fla.
Pattrick Loew, Hastings High School, Hastings, Mich.
Malcolm McDowell, Tunnicliffe, Art Lights, Torreon Co., Mexico
Earl Kelly, Earl Kelly Furniture, Pensacola, Fla.
John Harper, EMC Woodworking, Phoenix
Ramon Valdez, Exotic Woodworks, Bloomfield, N.M.
Chuck Sharbaugh, Holly, Mich.
Scott Grove, Green Grove Design, Rochester, N.Y

Are you more talented than a 12th grader?

Before you answer, check out the 2009 Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge Woodworking Competition Grand Prize winner (see above), Andrew Prioli, a graduating high school senior in a WoodLINKS program at Cedar Ridge High School, Hillsborough, N.C. Prioli earned the top honor and $3,000 for “Inverurie,” a walnut dining room table with inlays of curly maple, cocobolo, maple burl and walnut burl veneers depicting three stallions and Celtic knots. Certainly Wood, distributor for the project, received a cash award of $2,000, and salesman Jim Carroll received $1,000, in recognition of their participation in the supply chain.
“We were very impressed with the caliber of the student work. They gave the pros a real run for the money,” says Will Sampson, editor-in-chief of CabinetMaker magazine, one of three judges for this year’s competition that rewards excellence in woodwork featuring natural veneer and wood product applications. “This speaks well for the future of the industry. We all should be looking over our shoulders at the up and coming talent.”
Prioli is headed to the Rhode Island School of Design in the fall aiming to be a furniture design major. He also was a 2008 Craftsman’s Challenge honorable mention winner in the Student Designs category.
This year’s competition category winners, each receiving $1,000, are:

*Architectural Woodworking, Fetzer Architectural Woodwork, Salt Lake City, for the Alice Tully Hall at the Julliard School of Music, designed by Diller, Scofidio & Renfro
*Cabinetry, Paul and Robin Mann of Paul Mann Custom Boats, Manns Harbor, N.C., for the sportfish yacht, Ann Warrick
*Furniture, John W. Harper of EMC Woodworking, Phoenix, for “Office Piece;” in Specialty Items, for the second year in a row, Geoffrey Kaiser aka Tockhwock, and Bruce Grimes, Santa Rosa, Calif, for “Sunset on the Aegean,” a reproducing grand piano
*Store Fixtures, Mark Ramsey of Tahiti Cabinets Inc., Anaheim, Calif., for “Something Silver;”
*Student Designs, Michael Poorman, Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C., for the dinner table “A Poor Man’s Legacy.”
*Honorable Mention, In recognition of his striking use of marquetry, Chuck Sharbaugh of Sharbaugh Woodwork, Holly, Mich, received a special judges’ plaque for his furniture entry, a standing cabinet titled “Tribute.”
The Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge entries for 2010 will be accepted beginning September 30, 2009. The results of next year’s competition will be announced at the IWFshow in Atlanta, Ga. CabinetMaker+FDM magazine again will be Craftsman’s Challenge partner sponsor.

Old school millwork rocks theWit

Following the philosophy of ‘more experience than hotel,’ theWit’s millwork sets the stage for a dramatic 27-story sensory experience {see New Chicago boutique hotel features $2.4M in millwork }.
For almost a year, DeLeers Millwork, Green Bay, Wis. crafted a large assortment of furnishings that included drapery valances and bathroom vanities for 270 guest rooms, kitchenettes for 90 condominiums, gift shop display cases, closet shelving, and the lobby registration desk. All of theWit furnishings feature a modern, flawless high-end look to properly represent the personality of theWit.
On the assortment of furnishings, DeLeers used premium-grade wood finishes, rift sliced white oak veneer, custom-made chrome footings for bathroom vanities, high-gloss lacquer finishes, and used blueprint-match paneling and doors in several public spaces.
The project used a variety of the materials, which were hand sanded by DeLeers team members. The company also used a Global Finishing Solutions dryer, which created a harder, more protective finish, and reduced the cure time by 75 percent.
The project garnered DeLeers The Architectural Woodwork Institute’s ‘Quality Certification Program’ (QCP) certification, which includes comprehensive testing and inspection.
TheWit, a Double Tree hotel is located on Chicago’s historic State Street.

New Chicago boutique hotel features $2.4 M in millwork

Millwork sexes up a room.
I love mouldings, wainscot, coffered ceilings, and built-ins— anything ornate and pretty. This is the main reason why I prefer older hotels versus gleaming modern behemoths. Millwork is everywhere not just the bar, lobby and some ballrooms.
TheWit Hotel, a boutique hotel opening June 4, 2009 in Chicago, features $2.4 million in millwork. The project includes sleek bathroom vanities, 'barn door' valances for all rooms, and chic kitchenette cabinets for all five floors of the downtown Chicago condominiums.
I will post more millwork shots and info as soon as I get it.

Bentley car switches gears to fine furniture

Bentley, James Bond’s favorite getaway car, is giving drivers and admirers more wood. Because of the global economic crunch, veneer artisans are repurposing off-cuts from walnut used for the luxury car’s dashboard and trim to make cabinets, occasional tables and furniture for showrooms in the UK. The manufacturer is planning to eventually sell off the fine furniture to the pubic, if there is a demand.
Bentley also designs and sells luxury cigar boxes, jewelry boxes, matchboxes and writing instruments.

Contest rewards creative veneer use

Veneer Technologies now is accepting entries for the Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge Awards, sponsored by FDM and CabinetMaker magazines.

The competition recognizes achievement in the use of natural veneer or wood product applications through cash awards and other recognition to designers, craftsmen, distributors and distributor’s sales representatives. Entrants may submit up to three items. The competition categories are: Furniture, Store Fixtures, Cabinetry, Architectural Woodworking, Specialty Items and Student Design.

Cash in the amount of $3,000 will be awarded to the grand-prize winning entry. The distributor of the veneer for the grand-prize will receive $2,000 and the corresponding salesperson will receive $1,000. Six $1,000 prizes also will be given out to each of the category winners. A $1,000 bonus is available for the grand-prize winner if entered by March 31, 2009.

There is no entry fee, and entries are accepted through June 1, 2009. The official announcement of winners will be made at AWFS Las Vegas, July 15-18, 2009.

A table featuring pau ferro, holly, lacewood, wenge, laurel burl and pear veneers was chosen as the top entry out of 168 in the fourth annual competition, announced in Atlanta during the 2008 IWF show. Gregg Novosad of Divine Design, Palatine, Ill., was awarded the $5,000 grand prize for excellence in woodwork featuring natural veneer and wood product applications. Certainly Wood, distributor to Divine Design, received a cash award of $3,000 and salesman Jim Carroll received $2,000 in recognition of their participation in the supply chain.

I was lucky enough to see this table in person. It's amazing what you can do with veneer. Think you have the creativity to win? If so, for entry materials, visit http://www.veneertech.com/.