Laundry Basin Cabinet

Arguably, this laundry basin cabinet is one of the most different commissions that I have ever taken on.

In this piece the client has purchased a solid copper plate double basin.  I was asked to design and build a cabinet around the basin using the dimensions supplied by the client.

Interestingly we agreed that a rudimentary design was sufficient to proceed.  I was to have full artistic control of the detailing and overall aesthetic, none of which was revealed until delivery.

Absolutely a project that required a full CAD design and analysis of what was and was not achievable.

The woods are Crows Ash (yellow) and Melaleuca.  The Crows Ash was chosen for this piece because of it’s natural max property, which is why it’s also used for boat building.

Not the most straightforward build I’ve ever done.  The copper basin was not symmetrical, so it was challenging to get a good fit.

I think in the long run, the laundry basin cabinet will work out ok, but  the laundry basin is not likely to work out well.  The basin is going to be used permanently, so it was going to be wet, a lot.  And the problem with that is copper oxidises very quickly.  I even had problems in the workshop with it.  I didn’t realise until I was fitting the cabinet that ANY moisture made the copper turn green very quickly. Absolute nightmare.

I would recommend getting a custom cabinet like this made, but maybe use a stainless steel basin instead.