Doonan Finish Carpentry

Another Built In for Us

2012-01-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

After being fed up with piles of stuff in our spare room and not having enough closet space to hide everything, I decided the easiest solution to get organized would be a built in. The bookcases all have adjustable shelves and the base cabs have one adjustable shelf each. This really helped to clean up the room, behind the doors are all the stuff not pleasing to the eye, theres plenty of bookcase room for more books, magazines and pictures.

Wainscot and Painting

2012-01-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

This is a wainscot project I did last fall. I matched wainscot they already had in their dining room and added it to their foyer and stairway. They asked me back before the holidays to do the painting and this is the finished product. Thanks Debbie and Chris for your buisness.

Marci's Mudroom Room

2011-12-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

This is a mudroom built in I just finished for a family in Northboro. I built this in 3 sections in my shop. Its made from birch and poplar and finished in Ben Moore Super White. Thanks Marci and Eric for your buisness hope you enjoy.

Fireplace Surround x2

2011-11-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

About 3 years ago a couple who just moved from Pittsfield to Medway asked me to build a replica of the surround they had in their Pittsfield home. I worked from a picture and built them a copy. They decided to move again and reached out for a second copy and these are pics of what I came up with.

Lots of Work Less Dust

2011-10-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since my last post, so I thought an update was due. I've been mainly painting the last couple months. I'm sort of falling into more interior painting jobs, customers who hire me for woodworking will ask if I also paint, and that seems to happen more and more. I guess its one less contractor the homeowner has to deal with so its convienant for them, I get a break from sucking sawdust for awhile and more buisness.... both parties win. The wall unit is an older project that I thought I'd post but never did, all the open shelf space will be filled with adjustable shelves. The wainscot in this living room was part of a large painting job, the chair rail was already in place, I added the shadow boxes and then painted the rest of the room, the kitchen/dining area, foyer, and two bedrooms. The last pic is a small cabinet I made for a stereo receiver/cable box and dvd storage. Thanks for reading.

More Mantels

2011-05-27T04:56:00.000-07:00

This is a lower and upper fireplace surround I built for a customer made from poplar and finished in Ben Moore White Dove. The design is from an image in TOH. The fireplace brick was replaced by TF Figuerido Masonry who does incredible work and makes my job much easier. This was the last project of a 1st floor remodel , once the electrician mounts the two sconces the project will be complete and Anne,Greg, Grace and Eve can enjoy their updated space.

Carmel's Fireplace Mantel

2011-04-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

I built this fireplace mantel from pine. My client asked that I stain the mantel to match the existing trim in her living room, the good people at Sherwin Williams mixed the color perfectly. I finished it with several coats of satin poly.

Medicine Cabinets

2011-03-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of recessed medicine cabinets I made for a customer. They are made from poplar and finished in linen white. This was a fun project, I really like the design and may make a couple for my home. Thank you for your buisness Cecilia, hope you enjoy.

Something Different

2011-03-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

This is a closet built in I just completed made from poplar and birch plywood. Its hard to tell from the pictures but its U shaped, the front wall has a 28" wide cabinet with shoe cubbies and rods to hang clothes on either side, and each side wall has a cabinet with shoe cubbie and closet rod for clothing. A top shelf wraps around all the cabinets to form a U. The cabinets all have adjustable shelves. A nice change from the projects I've been doing lately. Alyson and Ryan hope you enjoy.

It Never Gets Old

2011-02-28T04:29:00.000-08:00

I never get tired of building fireplace surrounds. This design is similar to one I did a while back. I made some minor changes with moulding, flute width and beefed up the mantle cap a bit to give it a slightly different look. My client asked that I expose as much of the marble as possible and that the reveal be the same on the sides and the top. A new inset and this will be the focal point of the living room. Thanks Kristin and Ed for your buisness hope you enjoy!

Furniture for Us Continued

2011-02-02T06:33:00.000-08:00

While I had a little down time after the holidays I decided to remodel our living room. The first task was to find a home for our tv. I've been tossing around ideas for a while, searched the internet for designs, found a couple wall units I liked and put together a drawing of what I'd like to do. But for some reason I just wasn't liking the finished design. Then it hit me, Wild Bill you are built in boy.... you've done lots of built ins for your customers, stick with what you know. I didn't have to draw anything but rough dimensions, couldn't be easier. Once the unit was ready and the tv installed I could concentrate on the rest of the room. I added crown, window/door casing, baseboard, and paint. What a difference from the old dark depressing brown we had for 7 years.

Finally Furniture for Us

2010-12-22T05:30:00.000-08:00

A lot of times when I'm building a project for a customer I'll think to myself this would look great in our house, when I have a chance I'll build something similar. Unfortunately that has yet to happen, so when Lisa's Dad asked me if I wanted a 2 1/2'' thick slab of 25 year old pine I said Oh Ya. It had coffee table written all over it. Now we just need a good design to support this hunk of wood. I had a couple thoughts, but Lisa found a picture in one of my old woodworking magazines of a beautiful trestle table that would look right at home with chairs made by the late great Sam Maloof. The problem was downsizing the design of a 28" tall table to a 18" tall coffee table. It was impossible to get the same lines given the height I needed so I came up with a slightly different Wild Bill version. It'll take a couple of years for the new poly to catch up with the old. If there is someone out there looking for a custom trestle table I have a real sweet design that I'd love to build. Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday's to all.

Needham WoodFest Part 2

2010-08-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

This is a master bedroom wall unit I just finished, made from poplar. The fireplace surround has raised panels upper and lower with fluted columns on each side. Window seats with four drawers each and base cabinets/bookcases flank each side of the fireplace, and as a finishing touch crown moulding throughout the room. I built this from a sketch and at times became very challenging to pull this all together but I'm happy with the result and hope that George & Kelly are too.

Fireplace Surrounds

2010-08-06T04:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a mantel cap I did for a couple, they just wanted to keep it simple and not take away from the beautiful stone fireplace.This is a fireplace surround I did for a couple who just moved from Pittsfield MA. where they had an older home and Cathy asked me if I could reproduce the fireplace surround they had. She supplied pictures of the surround and this is what I came up with.Danielle hired me to build a surround from a picture she found in a magazine and asked that I fan out the top mantel cap with moulding and add fluted columns. I finished this in Ben Moore Decorators White.

Ashland Double Built In

2010-08-06T04:26:00.000-07:00

This is a built in I made for a couple in Ashland, I was referred to them by their neighbors who had me build a similar unit.Its made from poplar with arched face frame and adjustable shelves on the bookcase, and slightly frosted glass doors so all the AV equipment can be controlled with a remote. I finished it in Ben Moore White.

Needham WoodFest Part 1

2010-04-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Kelly and George contacted me on a recommendation from their painter Jorge who I met on a trim job a while back. I met with Kelly and she laid out the projects..... lots of good stuff, two built ins, single and double fireplace surrounds, fluted columns, and crown. I put in my bid and was pleased to be awarded the job. This is the first project, the family room wall unit, an 18' built in made from poplar, with two window seats with drawers, a computer workstation with bookcases, and outside base cabinets/ bookcases.

Mudroom Base Cabinet

2010-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

I did alot of work for Scott and Dallas Pioli before Scott became G/M of the K.C. Chiefs. Dallas was kind enough to leave my contact info with the new home owners and Alyson reached out and asked me to build this cabinet for the mudroom to add a little more storage. I supplied a couple of pics from the web and Alyson came up with L shape which worked out nice for the limited space she had, it also works as a bench for the kids to put their gear on.

Window Seat Built In

2010-01-28T03:58:00.000-08:00

I was hired by Bill and Melissa to build this window seat built in. Its made from poplar with red oak caps on the base cabinets that will be poly'd to match the floors. Melissa is handeling the painting and has been doing an excellent job. To finish the project and give it a true built in look I installed crown moulding though out the room. Thanks to the Paille's for their outstanding hospitality, I truly enjoyed this project.

Living Room Remodel

2009-12-04T05:54:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics of a living room remodel where I installed new crown moulding , the wallframes, and baseboard. The homeowners Cheryl and Mike did the painting and they contracted for the Brazilian Cherry floors. The dark cherry floor provides a nice contrast for the wall and trim.

Bathroom Vanity

2009-11-25T06:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a vanity I built for a Cyclocross buddy of mine. He remodeled his bathroom and asked if I could build a double vanity for him. Scott sketched a basic design of what he wanted and I took it from there. Its made from poplar and was delivered unfinished. My favorite part of the project is the flip down drawer fronts that would normally be a fixed decorative touch but are now useable storage for tooth brushes, tooth paste etc.... great idea. Also Scott did a super job with the paint.

It's been awhile...

2009-09-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since my last posting, buisness was slow the first part of the summer which allowed lots of training time for bike racing , sometime during the end of the summer the flood gates opened and I have more buisness than I've ever experienced in the 4 years I've been on my own, which has been great.

It's now the beginning of the Cyclocross season my favorite time of the year , I feel fit and ready to tackle some tough New England races. Suckerbrook last week was awesome even with a flat that ended any chance of a good result I still had a blast, that race gets better every year. My next race at Gloucester should be epic. Then the first R.I. weekend of the year combined with Inter Bike looking forward to that. Check out a race its spectator friendly and even better when you participate. Here are a few things I've been working on since my last post.

The McCarthy Mantel & More

2009-06-07T04:07:00.000-07:00

Bill and Maureen took a chance on Doonan Finish Carpentry for their fireplace mantel surround and dual 7' built-ins. My goal was to add Bill to my small but growing list of happy customers. Once the design was finalized and the measurements checked the project could begin. First up was the mantel surround which I built in my shop and installed a week later. Next came the leveling bases, once they were installed the base cabinets started to take shape, the face frame was added and the cabinet top was sized and mounted. Time to build 8 raised panel doors and 6 drawers with raised panel fronts. Once that was complete the upper bookcases were built and the arched face frame attached and crown moulding was added to finish off the units. I really enjoyed working on this project, Bill allowed me the freedom to build my interpretation of his drawing and by doing so create a beautiful mantel & more.

Laura's Mudroom and Laundry/ Half Bathroom Remodel

2009-05-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

I was contracted to remodel a mudroom and laundry/half bathroom.Laura saw my website online and reached out. The plan was to add beadboard to the laundry/half bath, base cap to the existing baseboard and crown moulding in both rooms. I started from the top and worked my way down. The crown was installed, the beadboard was next, followed by the trim.

Time to paint... the walls were sanded to knock down the swirl marks from the previous paint job and primed. The ceiling was painted, trim and beadboard next, for the walls I applied Ben Moore Arcadia White. Frankie the plummer will install the fixtures and the Russo's will be in buisness.

Wood is Good .....

2009-03-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

but bike racing is BETTER!!!!!!! Mike & Lynn of Team Sam/Millwork One Racing and I also of Millwork One Racing have been heading to CT. for the Plainville Spring Series training race. This week Mike chose to do battle with me in the 3/4 race NICE!!!!!! Good turnout this is usually the biggest field of the day 40 to 50 riders. My plan was to ride as smooth as possible through the corners , close gaps only when neccessary and ride the best possible wheels in order to save energy for the last 5 laps when all hell breaks loose. One wheel that I enjoyed was Capt America's who rode a Red White and Blue Stars& Stripes C'Dale. I was in constant search for the Capt as he was strong , an excellent bike handler and provided shelter for my fat ass. Mike Sam bridged to a break mid race and ready to rock& roll found a group of riders not willing to work together to keep the break alive and were soon swallowed up. The course is flat and very fast making breakaways difficult. With 5 to go time to move forward. Gutter time, outside left , slowly getting to the front with the Capt and Mike in tow just keep the pedals moving the CAAD8 will do the rest , 1 to go ....my favorite corner is the last one leading to the slight uphill finishing straight , everyone nice and straight, hold the lines and empty the tank , field sprint , finish line approaching fast, finished upper teens or so, my best finish so far , every week the fitness improves.

Back to the Volvo , change quick and head out to the course to heckle Lynn the most attractive member of Team Sam. Lynn did an excellent job as the only woman in the 4/5 Masters field, showing the men how to take the corners at speed and riding strong the entire race. Tommorrow Wells Ave.... SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The 2009 season is upon us , we now have something to look forward to , every weekend if you want it you'll find some form of bike racing be it in the woods or on the road......"Life is Good"

Screened In Porch Remodel

2009-01-23T04:09:00.000-08:00

This is a screened in porch I converted into a sun room for a customer in Needham Ma. The first step was to frame for the new windows, then insulate the knee walls and ceiling.

After the windows were installed the drywall is added, the seams and screw holes are filled with joint compound.

Now for the fun part, crown moulding, window casing are installed.

Ceiling, walls, trim are painted, laminate floor and baseboard finish the interior.

Jackie's Built In

2009-01-15T04:02:00.000-08:00

This is a built in wall unit I installed in my customer's formal living room.The plan was to build a unit around a french door leading to the dining room and cap the room off with crown.The first step was to remove the baseboard, install and level structural bases on both sides.

I constructed all the individual cases in my shop and installed the face frame on site.Once that was done the crown moulding was installed.

Next comes 20 adjustable shelves , 4 raised panel inset doors with euro hinges for nice clean look.Baseboard , and a custom grille are added , we are ready for the painters.

A Crowning Achievement

2009-01-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Here are a few crown moulding jobs I've done recently.

On this job I installed 4 1/2"crown , made the fluted column and installed the chair rail and finished it in Sherwin Williams white.

This crown is poplar with a very funky profile that my customer special ordered.

More fluted column fun.

This crown was part of a screened in porch that I converted to a sun room.

Crown mania continued

This project was a remodel of a mud room , I built this cabinet for a place to store gloves, hats etc. and hang coats, then tied it together with the crown.

This crown was part of a dining room remodel.

Arnold Family Projects

2009-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here are a few projects I did for WEEI sports radio talk show host Dale Arnold. Dale's wife wanted to fill in some dead space in their kitchen area with some cabinetry to provide additional storge. I built this unit out of red oak to work around the water cooler and house a 17"LCD TV. Behind the bottom two doors are six shelves mounted on Blum drawer glides that pull out to allow easy access to pots , pans and cooking accessories. The stain used was color matched to the existing cabinetry.

This bookcase was built to match a set that they had purchased years ago. I made it from cherry like the originals and sealed it with satin poly

On this project I installed a french door , added casing and rosettes on the living room side and fluted casing, plinth blocks,header and crown band on the foyer side to match the other door openings I trimmed out. I also installed the crown moulding you see above the door.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a fun and safe New Years eve. Lisa and I played host to Mike, Lynn, Judge & Lyons , good food, drink, and company made for a great nite. Lots of Advil made for a great morning.Looking forward to an awesome 2009.

Wainscot Madness

2008-12-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I had a run of wainscot jobs that illustrate three different ways to install this classic interior woodwork.In this version I start with chair rail and base cap or panel moulding to form shadow boxes mounted on the drywall suface.This is a quick and economical way to get the wainscot effect.This version is 36" tall

The next version I install poplar stiles/rails with scotia moulding on the inside of each box, 4 1/2 speedbase is added and its finished with chair rail and a cap.Because the wainscot when installed on the drywall sits proud of the door casing a back band is added.There is less mess and less labor with this version but your at the mercy of an uneven surface that is the nature of drywall.This example of wainscot is 48" tall.

The third version and one that produces the best result, starts with the removal of existing drywall and the installation of furniture grade plywood for a flat even foundation on which to build upon. Poplar stiles/rails are next and in this case panel moulding is used to trim each section followed by baseboard, and chair rail.This version creates more of a mess and requires more labor but in the end your left with beautiful wall furniture.This version stands 32" tall.Wood is Good!!!!!!!

Fireplace Mantel Fever

2008-12-26T18:34:00.000-08:00

Not too long after I finished the maple fireplace surround I was contracted to build another one this time out of poplar.I had a picture of a mantel I had done a while back and my client had an image from the web we took the features she liked from both and combined them to create this surround.The Monday before Christmas I removed the old mantel and took the final measurements and was asked if it would be possible to have it done before the holiday, not wanting to set myself up to disappoint I said that I can't guarantee but will try my best. My brain was still fresh my last mantel, I started Tuesday and by Friday night the saw dust settled the mantel was done and I installed it with the help of my Dad the morning of Christmas eve.

Fireplace Mantel

2008-12-26T18:01:00.000-08:00

This is a fireplace mantel surround I built out of soft maple from an image my client found on the web, the stain was tinted to match an existing built in. Limited wall space and fire code restrictions for the gas fireplace made getting the proportions correct the most challenging part of this project.