Walnut Grocer’s Counter

Description

Walnut Grocer’s Counter
Vintage.
Found in a flea market in Lyon.
Made of walnut with book-matched panels on face.
Oiled … more Walnut Grocer’s Counter
Vintage.
Found in a flea market in Lyon.
Made of walnut with book-matched panels on face.
Oiled finish.
Two drawers in back.
46.75" wide, 20.25" deep, 35" tall

Editor's notes

This counter was once used in a French grocery market. It has all the function of a hard-working storage cabinet, with all the style and charm of a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture.

About bookmatched panels

Bookmatching refers to a specific technique used in furniture building where two adjacent wood sheets are mirrored or opened like the pages of a book, resulting in a symmetrical pattern. It involves taking two consecutive slices of wood from a log and aligning them side by side, creating a mirrored image of the grain pattern.

To achieve a bookmatched effect, panels are typically sliced sequentially from a log using a rotary or slicing method. The resulting veneer sheets are then laid side by side, ensuring that the grain pattern on one side matches the grain pattern on the other side, similar to the way the pages of a book face each other.

The bookmatched pattern can create visually striking and symmetrical effects, particularly when the grain pattern has distinct features like cathedral arches, figure patterns, or natural color variations. It is commonly used in fine woodworking, cabinetry, furniture making, and interior design to enhance the aesthetic appeal of surfaces such as tabletops, cabinet doors, panels, and decorative elements. less