Woodworker: Celine Schmidt

The focal point of this cabinet-on-stand is the inlaid wheat leaves, which are set in the foreground of a repeating prairie sky created with straight-grained tulip poplar veneer. To get the grain of the veneer to wrap seamlessly around the piece, Schmidt laid up the veneer in one large panel, then laid out the marquetry pattern on the sheet using a paper template. She cut up the sheet in different sizes to fit the substrates, added the marquetry leaves, then applied the veneer using a veneer press. The doors run on wood slides, and the finish is a mixture of tung oil and Varathane.

Photos: Celine Schmidt

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