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Today, March 29 is World Piano Day. So why does that matter for a custom woodworking company? For those who don’t know, our Founder and Lead Carpenter Matthew Whiteis is fond of pianos. That’s because, you see, he doesn’t solely identify as a tradesman — he is also a musician. Music is at the heart of what he does — and we mean everything. You may see projects that wow and builds that transform a space, but what you don’t see is how music motivates, inspires and is his true passion. And the piano isn’t just some hobby. But restoring the baby grand in his home — that was a hobby. We rescued this beauty—a 1908 Bradbury—from a friend whose late father had a wood shop in Denver, Colorado. It was his goal to restore her, and we felt compelled to finish the project, as it tied his two passions together. Before After As a woodworker, Matthew knew he couldn’t hide the beauty he found upon removing old stain, moldings and veneer. He collaborated with his soon-to-be bride (okay that’s me), on a design that would show the creativity in them both. Wanting a one-of-a-kind result, we decided to burn the sides with a hand torch to expose the eye-catching contrast of the wood grain. By hand-painting the legs and top black, it was the perfect finish. One that earned her the name Belle. For Fun + More About the Music Here are some old progress photos of this passion project and here’s baby Matt. And it’s not shocking that he’s sitting in front of a piano. Want to know more about Matthew’s love for music? Here are a few fast facts, and we encourage you to visit MatthewTaylorMusic.com and listen on Spotify . The first record he owned was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” His piano teachers growing up were well-known authors, Dave and Beverly Lewis. He is a multi-instrumentalist. He’s performed from California to Florida and even Japan. He’s released music as a solo act, session musician and bandmate ( Matthew Taylor , Abandonato, The Taylor Project, Justus League and the Robby Wicks Band — to name a few). He won an American Idol Competition (original series) in Colorado which gave him a golden ticket to further audition in San Francisco. He released his first solo album “Audio Journal” through JMD Records and Ingrooves, a partner of Universal Music Group. He’s shared the stage with and performed at private events for several celebrities. He’s in the process of seeking management to release his next round of new music. Last, and not least, his son Sebastian is also a talented singer, pianist and guitarist. As always, thanks for reading! Have an idea for a future post? Contact us !

In case you didn’t know, floating shelves are popular on Instagram . We certainly didn’t know that when first posting the following three videos. Yes, our top three most-watched videos on Instagram all feature floating shelves, and have all received millions of views. Videos 1 and 2: Walnut Floating Shelves These walnut floating shelves are the perfect final touch to this entertainment area. This was actually our top video of 2022, and when we reposted it for a second time , it got just as much attention. This gorgeous room was part of a home addition project, where we also built a matching walnut waterfall bar and bottle riser. It’s always fun to see results, so check out the finished product ! Video 3: L Brackets We commonly use L brackets for floating shelves for extra support. You can easily find them at the hardware retailer or online site of your choice. Visit Amazon.com/Shop/MTTrimCo to access our favorite hardware, including these L brackets *. Other Top Contenders Check out these additional floating shelf videos to see even more ways this simple storage solution can help pull together wall space. U-Shaped Floating Shelves in a Pantry Floating Shelves Over Tile in the Kitchen Floating Shelves Above Living Room Builtins Floating shelves are here to stay. They are not for everyone and aren't solely made to display items in super-organized kitchens. If it's a design concept that the homeowner desires, then it's on-trend in our book! Do you have or would you have floating shelves in your home? Let us know your here-to-stay design trends, post ideas or ask a question by contacting us . *As a participant in the Amazon Influencer Program, MT Trim Co earns commissions on qualifying purchases.

It was a quiet day on Instagram when out of nowhere we got an idea. We asked a simple question to our followers, "Would you like to see how we build our cabinets?" Then, a plethora of answers flooded our inbox with the consensus being an overwhelming yes. So, here you have it, a 3 Part Series: How-To Build a Cabinet Box. Part 1 Here, and in Part 2 , our Founder and Lead Carpenter Matthew Whiteis shows you the basics of a cabinet box that he pre-built. Know this process will work for the size you build, and we'll share a few of the tools he uses and talk about why he uses them. Featured Tools The Kreg Foreman Pocket Hole Machine is what we use to make all our pocket holes before we assemble - as you will see in Part 3 of this series. We use the Rockler Pro Shelf Drilling Jig for adjustable shelf pin holes. When using this jig, you'll simply find the center on each leg and divider (between the top and bottom of the face frame) and pre-drill every other hole. We do this before we assemble the box. For lower cabinets, we typically only drill 3 holes for three different height options. Part 2 Here Matt's continuing the enthralling basics of a pre-built box. As you learned in Part 1 , we use TruPan Ultralight MDF for the core of the boxes in this tutorial. These are paint-grade cabinets but we also use this process for plywood applications. Pockets work just fine on MDF as long as the depth is set properly and you’re not drilling them too close to the edges of the pieces. Tip: The closer you get to the edge, the more they’ll want to split. Don’t over-torque and use plenty of glue. Featured Tools We like using the Stanley Fat Max tape measure. And, if it’s not attached to Matt's side it’s usually lost in another dimension. That’s why we own at least five of them. True story. Part 3 And for the finale, here's Matt assembling a cabinet box. Simply watch and see how all the previously mentioned parts and tools are used to piece it together. Featured Tools: We use Ryobi drills and absolutely love them. As you can tell, our tool arsenal consists of many brands of reliable and effective tools. We recommend finding the best-fit tools for you, and for each application and build. It all comes down to what gets the job done in an efficient, yet high-quality manner. Check out our favorites * and snag them for yourselves via our Amazon Storefront ! We hope you enjoyed this series! At MT Trim Co, we strongly believe in fostering relationships and supporting everyone in the trade, so that the craft of woodworking continues for generations to come. If you have an idea or request for a future tutorial or post, feel free to contact us ! *As an Amazon Influencer, MT Trim Co earns commissions on qualifying purchases.