Custom Nakashima Bookshelf with Sliding Cabinet Doors

About

This project is a functional lego architectural piece based on a custom George Nakashima bookshelf/cabinet commissioned by my grandfather and designed and created by the famous woodworker himself. For more information on Mr. Nakashima, visit https://nakashimawoodworkers.com/

The real life bookshelf was created using imperfect slabs of a beautiful cherry wood with fabric and wooden sliding doors. The lego version is clearly much smaller than the original massive piece of furniture, but the design is nearly the same excluding one straight organizational shelf row.

Inspiration

This bookshelf belonged to my late grandfather and holds close sentimental value to my grandmother. I used to love building legos and my grandparents would always support me by buying the latest kits and encouraging my creativity. I made an LDD mockup and rendered a few pictures for my grandmother recently and she loved it.

While we hold the original piece of furniture close to our hearts, George Nakashima's furniture is truly world-class and has an entired devoted exhibit year-round at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, PA, associate of the Smithsonian Museum. My hope is that his talent of taking imperfect living trees and turning them into beautiful architectural marvels can pass on through the plastic of the modern age and inspire youths to remember the importance of our roots (literally).

Details

All of my pictures of the actual piece of furniture have people in them which is against Lego policy, so I have included one of the original sketches drawn by George Nakashima.

The model is about 4" x 3" x 6.25" (width x depth x height) and 383 bricks.

The cabinet doors slide open and closed, revealing a hollow storage space inside.

Files

LDD File

Building Instructions