Woodworker: Andy Rae

After researching several 18th-century linen presses, including one notable cabinet that resides in the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C., Rae designed this modern linen press. The casework consists of separate upper and lower sections, allowing easier transport. Shopmade cherry crown molding wraps around the three show faces of the upper case, and waist molding attached to the top of the lower case conceals the joint where both cases meet. Mitered and splined ogee bracket feet–dovetailed at the rear–complete the lower case. The drawer and door panels are framed in mitered, satinwood crossbanding. Hardware is solid brass that’s been chemically etched to convey age. Underneath the bottom drawer is a hidden compartment that houses two secret drawers, inside one of which there is a spare key should the owner ever lose the original.

Photo: Andy Rae

Launch Gallery