I am fairly new to this forum but looking forward to learning more about design. I'm OK on my woodworking skills but not sure I have the right "eye" sometimes in the design basics.
I would help to ask first and build second, but I would welcome some design critique on a credenza I just built for my office. It shadows the design of an Art & Craft-style desk I built, but I was not looking to match them exactly.
My thoughts/concerns now that I look at the complete piece:
The top should have been longer to create more of an overhang look, ala Frank Lloyd Wright Pioneer.
I wish now that I had chamfered the underside edge of the top so it had a lighter look.
The whole piece seems busy to me -- too much curly cherry where it doesn't belong and perhaps too many slats going on with the shelves. I wish it had a quieter, lighter more elegant look about it.
You may not be able to see from this these pics, but there is a bark scar on the top left front edge that my wife convinced me to leave as something of a design signature. I actually like it now that I did it, but I almost wish it was larger so it is more obvious that I was trying to do it. My wife also convinced me to leave the sap streaks in the top rather than use a clear piece of curly cherry.
I have also attached a pic of the desk so you can see what I did with that piece -- which I like better than the credenza design.
Anyway. I would welcome some critique in the interests of doing it better the next time on another piece.
Thanks.