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This is a review of a delightful vintage book called How To Make Built In Furniture. The author is Mario Del Fabbro. The book is hardcover with dust jacket. It is 263 pages long including index and is illustrated with black and white diagrams, line drawings, plans charts and illustrations. This is a fantastic book for those interested in DIY (Do-It-Yourself), homesteading, Masonry, Construction, Building, Mid Century Mod, and Retro vintage furniture...

Quoting from inside the dustjacket of the book: "About the Author: Mario Del Fabbro is a professional designer and consultant. In his long career in this field he has achieved prominence by designing furniture for both American and Italian manufacturers. He has worked as a technical expert for Knoll Associates Inc, and Paul McCobb Design Associates, and is presently associated with J.G. Furniture Company of New York and Quakertown, Pennsylvania..."

Another Quote from the inside from inside the dust jacket of the book: "Whether you are a beginner or an experienced craftsman, making your own built-in-furniture is easy and fun- when you follow the step-by-step instructions in this handy book. It makes woodworking so simple that you don't even need any complicated tools or any woodworking machinesfor the many interesting projects detailed here.

All the instructions are clear and simple. They are arranged in their logical sequence, so you know exactly what to do every inch of the way. Each piece is shown in self-explanatory drawing, so you know what it will look like when finished. The construction is simplified to a maximum, without sacrificing standards of quality and appearance. For each piece, a list of materials and precise measurements is provided, so you can avoid errors and miscalculations that often plague amateur craftsmen. Best of all- every project in the book can be completed with basic handy tools, so you can keep your expenses down to a minimum.

The second edition of a well-known reference for how-to-do-it fans, this volume reflects the many changes in techniques, materials and methods of construction that have taken place since the book first appeared. IT also includes many projects that were not in the first edition, such as stereo cabinets...a table bar...a rod and gun closet...a valet chair...and table and wall mirrors.

The first part of this book contains specific instructions for solving many problems of built in construction, including vital information on room measurement...handling variable dimensions such as sloping ceilings...selecting and buying wood...wood finishing...hardware...installation and mounting...and many construction details for joints, doors, drawers, and other important features.

The major portion of this book is devoted to 102 built in projects ranging in size from a knife holder for a kitchen to an entire storage area with roll-away beds. It includes such diverse pieces as bookshelves...desks...cabinets...breakfast and service bars...room dividers...wall chests...closets...headboard units...work counters...sink enclosures...tables...storage units...and other highly useful items.

Most of the projects include special information on adapting them to fit any room or usable space. Thus you can achieve real space economy by utilizing wall recesses, attics, the space beneath a sloping ceiling, hallways or whatever is available. You can also make full use of a wall and arrange the space exactly the way you want it. Hundreds of variations can be made from these unusual plans, and you will find them an excellent source of basic information and ideas for designing your own projects.

This practical how-to-do it book enables you to build useful and attractive furniture that you can be proud of. It also gives you an opportunity to own original custom-built pieces- and save hundreds of dollars while developing your skills and creativity." (End quote from dust jacket.)

Copyright dates given are 1955 and 1974. The book was published by McGraw Hill.

Built-In Furniture Designs Found in this Book:

• Low Bookshelf Units
• Wall-Hung Book Shelves
• Floor To Ceiling Book Shelf
• Double-notched Floor To Ceiling Bookcase
• Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves for limited wall space
• Wall-hinged table and shelf
• Hung or standing bookshelves
• Shelves for wall recess
• Wall Mirror With Plain Frame
• Wall Mirror With Decorative Frame
• Bookshelves against a sloping Ceiling
• Child's Bookcase
• Stereo Cabinet 1 & Stereo Cabinet 2
• Wall Hanger
• Umbrella Stand
• Combination Desk & Shelf
• Combination Desk, Cabinet & Shelf
• End-Table Bookshelves
• Cabinet With Hinged Table
• Wall Bookshelves and Cabinets
• Shelves
• Desk & Bookshelves for wall recess
• Floor-to-ceiling corner shelves
• Cabinets and counter for dining room
• Low-hung wall cabinets
• Radiator enclosure
• Pass-Through Counter
• Pass-through window
• Telephone Shelf
• Wall Bench
• Breakfast or Game Corner
• Table Bar
• Bar and Bookshelves
• Service Bar
• Room Divider
• Louver Partition
• Room Paneling
• Partition Composed of Shelves
• Partition Composed of Cabinets
• Rod & Gun Closet
• Flower Stands
• Vestibule Partition With Planting
• Vestibule Partition With Coat Closet
• Corner Coat or Linen Closet
• Coat or Linen Closet
• Overhead Storage Units
• Attic Storage Units
• Single-Door Closet Units
• Double-Door Closet Units
• Closets as Partitions
• Closet under Stairs
• Wardrobe around vanity or chest
• Closet to fit sloping ceiling
• Double Clothes Closet
• Accessory Rack For Closet Door
• Shoe Rack
• Attic Chest and Closet
• Corner Dressing Table
• Wall Chests
• Five-Drawer Wall Chest
• Overhead Night Table: 2 Compartments
• Valet Chair
• Bed Back Support
• Table Mirror
• Base For Box SPring
• Space-saving bedroom unit
• Headboard cabinets for double bed
• Sofa Bed with Bookshelves
• Bunks and Closet
• Double-Decker Folding Beds
• Stepladder chair
• Folding Bed with overhead cabinets
• Storage Wall and Roll-away beds for children's room
• Kitchen Cabinet Installation
• Single Wall Cabinet: three shelves
• Double wall cabinet: three shelves
• Double wall cabinet: two shelves
• Wall-hung corner shelves
• Wall hung corner cabinet
• Kitchen storage cabinet
• Counter top
• Base Cabinet
• Base Cabinet: 4 drawers
• Corner Base Cabinet
• 2-door corner base cabinet
• base cabinet: variable width
• open shelves
• two door base cabinet
• Sink installation
• Spice cabinet, napkin holder, and knife holder
• Vegetable storage
• Breakfast Bar
• Island Kitchen Table and Cabinet
• Storage and serving counter
• Kitchen Storage Wall
• Bathroom Cabinet
• Cabinet and Dressing Table for Bathroom
• Bottle Storage
• Service Bar with Wall Shelves

I recommend this book to anyone who a) is handy enough to actually complete the projects in the book OR b) anyone who has an appreciation of the mid-century modern aesthetic. The projects in this book are very modern. If you like froo-froo, this is not a good book for you. If you like minimalism and clean lines, this book will be more to your taste.

This review is by me, Amy Solovay. It gives you an idea of my own humble opinion about the book- your mileage may vary! If you have a different opinion I encourage you to submit a review for publication on this site- all reviews will be credited to the author who wrote them. Please email me to submit.

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