For this project the clients wanted to add built-ins on either side of their fireplace to give them additional storage and shelf space for a large collection of books. The existing mantle was red oak, and the clients were interested in having new countertops made for their built-ins from the reclaimed red-oak barn beams I had in stock at my shop.

I began by milling several of the beams I had at my shop and then arranging the boards for the new countertops. The clients wanted to highlight the mortise pockets in the wood from the original beams, so I tried several different arrangements of the boards to both highlight these features and to get the best flow of color across the countertop.

Here the lower cabinets and countertops have been fit and installed.

Fitting the upper cabinets was done very carefully to align with the cabinets below as well as fit to the existing fireplace stonework. The mantle was cut down to line up with the sides of the new upper cabinets exactly.

The finished product. In addition to the built-ins, I also sanded, stained, and finished the existing mantle to match the color of the new countertops.

A close-up shot of one of the countertops to how the mortise pockets were incorporated into the design.

The pulls for the cabinet doors were made from old spigot handles the client had salvaged from their family farm. I added new hardware and custom spacers to make them function like standard cabinet handles.