Paul Kiarie made Jens a warm wooden kitchen set that brought order, beauty, and a sense of home to everyday meals. What's your wish? →
View material & custom-made details
This Custom Cypress Cutlery Trays Set of 3 showed how Paul Kiarie turned one kitchen storage idea into a coordinated set of made-to-fit wooden drawer inserts. The finished trays are a useful example for anyone planning custom wooden cutlery organizers for large or unusually shaped kitchen drawers.
- Request: The project began as one fitted wooden cutlery tray, then expanded into a set of three trays for different drawers, all made in cypress with a clear varnished finish.
- Final result: The completed set included three custom cutlery trays sized for different spaces, including a large tray around 70.8 x 47.8 cm, a wider tray around 81 x 48 cm with a slightly slimmer 78.5 cm base, and a smaller tray adjusted to about 48 x 51 cm.
- Design details: The trays were built with solid 1 cm construction for strength, with internal divisions planned around the intended cutlery layout; the smallest tray was finished with two inner divisions to create three equal compartments.
- Fit and use: This set was made to sit snugly inside kitchen drawers, including practical allowances for drawer clearance and a side adjustment on the smallest tray so it would still fit properly after the final measurement changed.
- Process: Public progress updates showed the cypress wood, glue and clear varnish, as well as panel glue-up, flattening with a router sled, frame building, fitting adjustments and photos of the trays completed and varnished.
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This design was custom-made exclusively for Jens. Let it inspire you: customize this design to fit your vision or start with a completely new idea. You chat directly with our artisans, and we handle the secure process.
A request by Jens from Versailles, Frankreich
I would like a wooden cutlery tray for my kitchen. Dimensions 71cm x 48cm. Plus a large knife block for about 12 pieces.
The Journey of Creating Custom Cypress Cutlery Trays Set of 3
Negotiation & Planning
Custom Cypress Cutlery Trays Set of 3 - design ideas and artisan proposals
Hello Jens I am happy to provide an offer for you idea. I'd like to know the type of timber I will use to make the trays and I’d suggest pine or cypress.
Would you like some compartments for your tray? I’ve uploaded a sketch of the tray with some compartments. I plan to use thickness of 1cm. Would you like me to apply varnish? I have also attached images of knife blocks. Once I get all the information, I’ll start production. thank you
Hi Paul, many thanks for your reply. Regarding the wood, I am open for your advice. What would be the difference between the two wood options?
I have a fairly good idea for the partitions for the cutlery tray - the uploaded file provides a sketch (dimensions indicated). To make sure it fits snugly into the drawer, I would like to allow 2mm margin (so, precise dimensions more like 70.8cm x 47.8cm. For the height, I would go for 6cm.
I think a strength of 1cm for the frame is good, for the wood partitions of the cases, I think 0.5cm would be sufficient. A light finishing would be good. Maybe a clear varnish, or possibly oil or wax? Again, happy to have you advice and ideas on this.
In the end, I will not require the knife box.
I would need another cutlery tray, however. The dimensions would be around 48x48, but this is for a kitchen in a holiday house and I will only be able to provide detailed dimensions in 2 weeks, when I will be there. (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens thank you for uploading the partition dimensions for the tray. I have understood the dimensions. Both the two types of wood are good for the tray however the difference is the grain of the wood and I think cypress looks better with a clear finish. I would advise going for 1cm thickness all through to keep the tray strong and to prevent the partitions from bending. A wax or clear varnish would do. As for the trays would you like me to proceed with the first tray or do them both at the same time?
Hi Paul,
Many thanks for your message. Okay to go with cypress wood, and with 1cm strength, and apply a varnish.
In principle, all good to start with the first one, but could you give me a quote for the price?
Many thanks, Jens (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens, I hope you are well. Let me quote for the first tray.
Hi Paul, many thanks, and happy to confirm that all is good to go ahead on the first cutlery tray.
Best, Jens (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens, I will get started on it as soon as possible thanks.
Hi Paul,
Many thanks. the design and specifications etc. are all good.
However, I now plan to order 3 cutlery trays and I would like to avoid multiple shipping costs, which are significant, and order the different items in one go (from sample projects, it seems that the shipping price would stay the same, or hardly change, for one product or three).
I include the sketch for the 2nd one in the attachments (this is additional to the first one); note that the width of the base has to be slightly slimmer (78cm) than the rest (81c). As mentioned I will be able to send the design for the 3rd one around the 20th February. The dimensions for the last one will be about 48cm x 48 cm, but I need to define the organisation of the compartments.
The wood and finishing would be the same for all three products.
If okay for you, you could give me a quote for all three together, and I could confirm the order, while we finalise the organisation of the 3rd tray once I will be able to confirm the precise dimensions for the inside compartments.
Best, Jens (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens I hope you are well... just to clarify you'd like three cutlery trays with dimensions 70.8cm x47.8cm and 81cm x 48cm and lastly 48cm by 48cm right?
Hello Jens I hope you are well... just to clarify you'd like three cutlery trays with dimensions 70.8cm x47.8cm and 81cm x 48cm and lastly 48cm by 48cm right?
Hi Paul,
Thanks for getting back, and that's correct. Just that for the last one (48x48) i will need to take the precise measures in 10 days, and it may adjusted a bit, but only by a few cm max.
Best, Jens (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens thanks for the clarification.
Crafting Process
How to make a Custom Cypress Cutlery Trays Set of 3 – work in progress
Hello Jens I hope you are well, I will begin making the trays tomorrow and I will share the progress with you.
That's great, many thanks and looking forward to learning about how things progress. (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens, here are the materials I'll be using to make the trays...cypress wood, glue and clear varnish
Thank you Paul, sounds all very good.
Best, Jens (Automatic translation)
Hello Jens I hope you are well...here I glued up two wooden panels for each of the trays to make the bottoms of the three trays then once they were dry I used a router and router sled to ensure the panels were flat and even
Many thanks for the update. (Automatic translation)
Hello Jens, here's the progress with the trays...I went ahead and made the frame for the smallest tray as I wait for the inside partition dimensions
Hi Paul,
(resending a message from yesterday, that i cannot see for some reason - so maybe you already received it).
I eventually took the final measures of the small cutlery board and it is 48cm x 51cm. Ideally, it would be great if it were possible to adjust the small try you started working on. If not possible, I would ask you to apply two small planks on the sides, so that the board fits snugly for the 51cm width. I attach a sketch for this.
Best,
Jens (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens I hope you are doing well...since the frame has already been made we will go with the second option of adding planks to make it 51cm wide ...I have attached photos of the two other trays as well.
Hello Paul,
Many thanks for the pictures of the finished trays - they look great.
For the last tray, I eventually decided for 2 inside divisions, to create 3 compartments of equal dimensions. Again, I attach a sketch to illustrate.
All the best!
Jens (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens, thank you for the sketches...I will get right to it.
Great, looking forward! (Automatic translation)
Hello Jens, I would like to clarify something about the tray, is the total height of the tray 6cm even with the added lip to the two sides that make it 51cm wide? For instance if the tray is 6cm high without the added pieces would I have to trim it to 5cm height so that when I add the pieces it becomes 6cm high?
Hi Paul, no problem if the height exceeds 6cm on the outsides, where the planks are added, and no need to trim back.
Best, Jens (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens, here are the trays...I made the bottom of the largest tray 78.5 cm instead of 78cm wide so that it doesn't interfere with the base...is that okay with you?
Many thanks Paul. They look very nice, and the slighty broader base at 78.5 is fine.
Best, Jens (Automatische Übersetzung)
Hello Jens I hope you are well...here are the trays completed and varnished.
Hi Paul, many thanks. They look very nice. Looking forward to receiving them.
All the best to you!
Jens (Automatische Übersetzung)
(Automatic translation) 06 Mar 2022 10:28 am: Jens
(Automatic translation) 06 Mar 2022 10:28 am: Jens
Hello Paul, thank you very much. They look very nice. I am looking forward to receiving them.
All the best to you!
Jens (Automatic translation)
The Finished Unique Piece – Individually Handmade
Reference: ON006156E-33183
Cost structure of this project
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Cost of material |
56.36
|
| Cost of labour |
56.36
|
| Cost of packaging |
4.83
|
| Local Transport to photoshoot and parcel drop-off |
8.05
|
| Subtotal – payout to artisan |
125.6
|
| Customer acquisition costs (advertising etc.) |
12.56
|
| Handling fee Urban Change Lab |
12.56
|
| Total (excluding shipping & taxes) |
150.72
|
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Note on shipping & taxes
The cost breakdown above shows how the value of this individual project is composed.
Shipping costs and any applicable taxes (e.g. VAT) depend on the delivery country and the specific setup and are therefore not shown as fixed amounts here.
All additional costs are communicated transparently before placing a binding order.
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