CCM Creates “Harry Potter” Bookcase

In 2009 we were approached by David Dillard, a local preservation architect we had worked with on previous projects. David was working on a condominium renovation project in the central business district for a local doctor and his talented, creative family. The doctor and his wife had lived in New Orleans 25 years earlier when he attended medical school. After medical school they moved to Cut Off, Louisiana to raise their family in a more rural setting. In 2008 their family home in Cut Off was destroyed by fire, forcing them to make a big family decision.

Ten years earlier they had purchased a condominium in a historic building in the New Orleans CBD . It was the family’s New Orleans townhouse which their daughters used while attending medical school. Their three girls graduated and were pursuing careers, so the family decided to renovate the New Orleans townhouse and move back to the city they loved.

The hardest part of making this decision was their two sons, one was in high school, the other in middle school and neither wanted to leave their school and friends. Giving them creative control over the design of their new rooms was a big factor in convincing them to accept the move. This decision led us to one of the more exciting and fun cabinet projects Central City Millworks has been involved with.

VIEW THE VIDEO and LARGE PHOTOS = New Orleans Custom Bookcase and Cabinets

VIEW THE VIDEO and LARGE PHOTOS = New Orleans Custom Built-in Cabinets

The family was moving from a large country house to a historic slave quarter condominium where the rooms would be much smaller. To accomplish the down-sizing, the architect worked with all the family members to design built-in cabinetry for their personal rooms and family areas. The built-ins were intelligently designed to maximize storage space while fitting in with the historic character of the building. All family members play musical instruments and had an extensive collection of music in the form of CDs, tape and albums. In the family room under a stairwell David designed a media center that utilized deep full extension drawers to conveniently store their music collection, plus efficiently contain their stereo components.

The son in middle school wanted plenty of storage for all his various interests and a desk large enough to work on several projects at one time. David designed an arched entablature cabinet with a center dresser and flanking storage cabinets with full length doors. A corner desk with plenty of wall cabinet storage above provided the maximum available work surface. Both cabinets took advantage of every square inch of available space so he had a place to store everything.

The son in high school was a Harry Potter fan and his design was, for us, the most exciting and fun part of the project. Having been inspired by “The Chamber of Secrets” and wanting to have a private space, he requested a room with a hidden entrance. The architect designed a beautiful classic bookcase that defined one end of a living room, using Spanish Cedar, carved fluted pilasters, carved appliqués, and beautifully finished with catalyzed varnish. The center cabinet is a smooth operating hidden door, set on an over sized Rixson hidden pivot hinge, with a magnetic lock operated by a remote wireless switch (an additional hidden mechanical key serves when the remote is not on hand). Central City Millworks’ engineering enabled the cabinet to meet the design requirements of the owner and architect, yet remain completely undetectable as an opening when it is shut.

The ultimate Harry Potter fan is very happy with his new room and its novel entry. Just recently a piano tutor was training his brother when he walked right behind her and entered the hidden room. The unsuspecting tutor was confused with someone seemingly disappearing behind her. She had no idea it was a secret passage and with the quiet remote lock and the smooth pivot, it totally surprised her.

I asked the mother how the family was adjusting to their new life as an urban family and specifically how were her sons handling the transition. There had been some tough times emotionally she said, but the whole family was embracing and enjoying their new life. Living in the heart of the city this music loving family was able to experience and appreciate the local music scene even more. The family loves sports and they often attend Saints and Hornets games. The kids were enjoying their new school and new friends. In a recent conversation with the mother we received the highest complement from one of sons. During a particularly rough time in his transition, she told him she understood all the difficulties but she just wanted to hear one positive from the move. After a period of reflection he said, “I like my room”. This point, she said, was a pivotal moment in his transition to accepting his new home.

The Central City Millwork design team for this cabinet was Hal Collums, Rob Thornton , and Ernest Myers . Because of the complicated nature of the cabinet the fabrication and assembly was led by Max Mendoza and performed by our cabinet department crew. The installation on–site was led by Max Mendoza and performed by the Hal Collums Construction install crew. Bryon Cornelison was the project manager.