Synopsis: With its long, asymmetrical form and functional layout, this wall shelf gives a nod to the Shakers while embracing a modern style. It has two vertical uprights, two long, horizontal shelves, and two suspended drawers. The joinery is a combination of lap joints and dadoes. River rocks serve as the drawer pulls.

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One of the reasons I like the Shaker style is because Shakers seldom followed traditional rules of design. The golden mean went out the window, while function was the overriding design element. They favored the tall and narrow and embraced asymmetrical layout.

When contemplating a wall shelf unit, I decided to incorporate the long, skinny, asymmetrical look into my design. I wanted something out of the ordinary, yet graceful and functional. After a series of brainstorm sketches, I came up with this version with two vertical uprights, two long, unaligned horizontal shelves, and two suspended drawers. To…