One of the students I met at Chris Malcomson's class last week was Hubert Boom. Before the class started he told Chris he also made some furniture and asked whether we would like to see it. But of course! Don't we always want to see what others have made? Hubert took a box out of his bag and opened it up. When he presented us with the cabinet he made, our jaws dropped...
Hubert showing one of his cabinets at his brother's table at the Arnhem Fair.
Hubert showed us the most beautifully made Louis XVI cabinet. Perfect in every detail. Made exactly as the full size version was made. Hubert told us that he's a cabinetmaker by trade and enjoyed using his skills to make a few miniatures. We all wondered why on earth he was taking the class!
During the fair, Hubert was helping his brother at his table (Piccolo, but the shop has now closed), where he had three more cabinets to show us. I took these photos at the fair, so unfortunately you can see me and my camera in the refection of the glass. This gorgeous bookcase was almost finished when I saw it.
It is so beautifully made. The two doors on the left reveal open shelf space, the door on the right hides three drawers, all fully dovetailed of course.
Early 19th century Dutch cabinet.
I love this cabinet. It is so typically Dutch. Just some very fine and simple decoration in the middle between the doors and below the columns. This cabinet was made from mahogany. The full sized cabinets were often mahogany veneered onto an oak construction or solid oak.
My mother has a similar cabinet in full size. I immediately noticed the bowed shelf inside the cabinet. Fantastic! What? A bowed shelf fantastic? Yes, because the full scale cabinets all have bowing shelves due to the direction of the wood grain used for these shelves. My mother's cabinet has bowing shelves as well.
Fine oak Louis XVI cabinet.
This is the cabinet Hubert showed us in class. He used the finest oak he could find for its construction. Oak typically has quite a coarse grain which makes it difficult to use in miniature projects. Hubert managed to achieve a very fine result.
Louis XVI style cabinet interior.
The beautiful fittings were specially made by Jean Claude Martin.
All the drawers are dovetailed, of course.
Detail of the broken pediment on top of the cabinet, with ornamental vase and carvings.
Hubert does not have a website (yet), so I offered to show his cabinets on my blog. I am sure you all don't mind me doing that ;) as I am sure you will all agree we have got another fabulous miniaturist in our world!