Joel ) wrote:

Sigh. I thought that my question was actually fairly simple.

Where would one start looking for design ideas on aspects of this that
are related to woodworking? Or elsewhere.

I have a not-small pile of woodworking books and magazines.

I go into the detail I mention to get a flavor across that this is not
a simple problem and that some design aspects of this (wood-wise) may
be subtle, may be important, or what not.

Where would you go for help in figuring this sort of design problem?

Perhaps y'all would prefer to just talk about table saw blades and
router bits. (somewhat sarcastic grin).

I missed the OP, but I think I get the drift. Go to Amazon.com and look
for books by Sarah Susanka. 'Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the
Details that Bring a Home to Life ' is a good starter. Don't buy these
books; get them from the library.

While you are looking at her books, pay attention to the following
sections on the listing: 'Customers who bought this item also bought',
'What do customers ultimately buy after viewing this item?', 'So You'd
Like to...', and 'Listmania!'. Following the leads in these sections may
ultimately get you t exactly what you need.

Almost forgot, read the Reviews by customers. Sometimes you get good
pointers there.