27. August 2026
Tambour Door Cabinet
Additional storage was needed, while the new cabinet also had to sit comfortably alongside existing oak furniture. Rather than creating another purely functional storage unit, the aim was to design something that felt like a standalone piece of furniture. The curved sides and tambour doors became the defining elements, keeping the front clean while giving the cabinet a distinctive character.
01 — SIGNATURE FEATURE
TAMBOUR DOORS
Tambour doors are defined by their fine vertical rhythm and the way they wrap smoothly around a curve when opened. Here, more than 80 individual oak slats are glued to heavy cotton canvas, creating a flexible panel that runs in continuous grooves cut into the top and bottom. A small groove at each slat end creates a deliberate shadow line where the doors meet the carcass, adding a crisp, clean detail to the otherwise seamless front.
02 — INTERIOR DETAIL
CURVED SHELVES
Two adjustable shelves provide flexible storage inside the cabinet, with shelf pin holes allowing their height to be changed as needed. Their front edges follow a long, very subtle curve that echoes the cabinet’s overall shape without drawing too much attention to itself. A 30° chamfer along the underside makes the shelves appear thinner from the front, reducing their visual weight while retaining full strength.
03 — DESIGN DETAIL
CUSTOM DOOR HANDLES
The long door handles are made from the same oak as the cabinet, keeping the front visually consistent. They taper from a slimmer section where they meet the tambour slats to a fuller profile at the front, with a gentle curve that feels smooth and comfortable in the hand. Their proportions follow the long vertical lines of the slats, so they feel integrated into the doors rather than standing out like separate pieces of metal hardware.
04 — FORM & STRUCTURE
LIGHTWEIGHT BASE
The base is built from oak and uses slightly splayed, tapered legs to keep the cabinet visually light. Each leg narrows toward the floor and transitions into an almost round profile at the bottom. A long stretcher connects the legs across the front, with shorter stretchers at the sides, adding stability without making the base feel heavy or bulky. The result is a modern structure that supports the cabinet while staying visually understated.
Project Videos
Follow the complete building process through a collection of short videos, showcasing the techniques, details and challenges behind this project.
Project Essentials
A selection of the tools and materials that played the biggest role in this project. Everyday workshop essentials such as the table saw, planer and sanders are intentionally left out.
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Materials
- Heavy Cotton Canvas, creating the backing of the doors
- Pattex Contact Cement to adhere the canvas to the indiviual slats
- Osmo High Soil Natural Matt hard wax oil for the finish
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Tools
- Metal roller (recommended when working with contact cement)
- 6mm spiral router bit to cut the channel for the tambour doors
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