Wooden Display Stand – Restraints and Specifications

For my final project I’m planning on creating a wooden display stand that’s shaped like a staircase, very similar to some designs for Lego minifigure display stands that I’ve seen online. For the function of the design, I want to try and implement a hidden drawer under the hollow portion of the stair steps. I want to emulate a cabin core aesthetic since a lot of the decor in my room is themed that way and it’s one of my favorite aesthetics due to how cozy it makes me feel. For my top five specifications that I want to try and achieve for this project, I wanted to try and create something cool that I like and will use, but stay realistic in terms of my abilities, resources, and the amount of time I can put into it. Those specifications are; functionality, both in terms of how well it can display things and the function of the drawer, stability, surface finish, and of course aesthetics.

I want this project to be useful as a display/storage device first and foremost, so functionality is my main priority. I plan on using the guiding rails from an old end table or cabinet for the drawer function. By reusing old rails from existing furniture, the rails will be much smoother than anything I could create, and it should hopefully be cheaper than buying the rail themselves. As for the functionality of the project as a display piece, I plan on measuring and planning out the design thoroughly before cutting the wood to ensure that everything fits together smoothly. If there are gaps in the front of the stand, it will distract from what’s being displayed, so ensuring everything is cut to tolerance is critical. How well I follow my plans will also impact the stability of the design. Originally, I wanted to use wood glue to bond the different pieces of the design together, and while I think that could work with enough time and patience, I now think that using nails will be easier and will more effectively bond the different pieces together. The stability is very important since it would be a very frustrating user experience to try and arrange everything I want to display just to have the stand shift and knock everything off. Surface finish is critical for that user experience as well. I want to avoid any splinters when trying to move things on the stand or the stand itself, so smoothing everything down before and after assembly should help with that. Last but certainly not least are the aesthetics of the design. Having the display stand is great, but if I don’t enjoy looking at it then its function is greatly diminished, so making the stand look nice is a very important specification. I like the way that natural wood grain looks so I don’t want to paint over the entire box, but adding intricate designs could take away from what I want to display and show off on the stand, so finding a nice balance on that end will be key. Something like the flowers painted on the wood in the image below could look really nice.

As for my top five constraints, time is the largest concern with classes wrapping up so making sure to plan effectively will be important in making sure this project gets finished properly and on time. The next is resources, I don’t want to spend a lot of money on this project, so using places like Resource Central to get materials for cheap is a good way to cut down on costs. Another constraint is how I actually want all the wooden pieces to fit together. I mentioned using nails but I’m unsure if that’s enough to keep things from wiggling in place, so I may have to come up with a way to secure everything tightly. The fourth constraint is my own skills. I have a vision for what I want this project to look like, but bring that to fruition could be tougher than I’m expecting, so leaving lots of time to work through problems I encounter could be helpful. The final constraint is my artistic ability. I want this project to look nice and fit into my aesthetic, but achieving that will be difficult. Planning and time will help, but it’s still up to me at the end of the day to execute the designs how I envision them.

References:

(1) – Tricked Out Bricks – https://trickedoutbricks.com/product/80-figure-podium-stand-for-lego-minifigures/

(2) – Stacy Ling Bricks n’ Blooms – https://stacyling.com/painting-the-piano/

(3) – Two Rabbits Art – https://www.etsy.com/listing/888302607/poppy-flower-wood-art-wood-tree-slice