Sarah's Final Project Ideas

My first idea coming into this project was to make a hope chest. My mom had one when I was growing up, and I've always liked the look of a chest at the end of the bed. I found some reference sizes of chests people have constructed online (22" x 24" x 46"), but I'd probably use my queen sized bed at home for reference and find a measurement that is larger than a twin but smaller than that. I'd like to finish it with a medium brown stain, possibly with a lighter shade to contrast in each panel. I think I'd also like to create a padded cover for the top of it, but we'll see about that. I want to try and design an original aspect to this chest, something unique, but I'm not sure what that means yet. All I know is that as far as the final product goes, I'd like to have a standout feature along the lines of the rope on the chest below-- something interesting but still practical.

I don't know how feasable either of my next two ideas are, but I'm going to dream big for a second...

First: an intricate geometric bookshelf

This project appeals to me because it would be a challenge and it's also something that I couldn't easily buy for myself (plus it's really pretty). I would most likely scale it back, perhaps even eliminate the outer layer of compartments, so that the size is more manageable. This model is approximately 4' tall and wide, so constructing it with heavy wood would be impractical for easy hanging. I'd like to keep looking into what this project would entail hardware/technique wise, but I think it could be a really fun build.

Second: A rocking chair

I may be sorely unqualified to construct a rocking chair-- for example, I'm not sure if you can buy bowed wood for the rocking or if that's something you have to manufacture-- but it looks like it could potentially be a rewarding, challenging, yet practical build. I've always really loved rocking chairs, and I could easily fit this on my balcony. I haven't set my heart on any finishes because this idea might be far fetched, but I'd like to see it in a cherry sort of shade. When I was growing up my step dad built a baby sized rocking chair for me and my brother, and I'd love to find a way to make one myself. 

The overall goal for this project is to challenge myself while still turning out a nice piece, because I know I'll be unhappy if it doesn't look like I imagined it would. I think all three of these projects would be really fulfilling, but I'll narrow it down based on compared cost and levels difficulty.