This small cabinet had several interesting elements. The marquetry door was to look partly open. It needed to be built in a “pocket” in the front. The play of the cast shadows was important in creating the three-dimensional illusion. These shadows needed to run over the maple parts of the cabinet. The apron below the door was curved. Cherry was my choice for the shadows as it is about two tones darker than maple and the grain of the two woods can be similar. The grain direction needed to change as the transition went from apron to leg.
But the real challenge in the marquetry of this piece was depicting the glass. It needed to show the glasses collecting the light with a lens like effect while also showing transparency with the shadows behind.