It's been awhile since I've written. I only realized that fact when a new client wrote me about his upcoming project in Grant Park and then expressed concern that we were no longer in business. We are most certainly in business; I've just too busy to write about it. However, we've done a lot of … [Read more...]
Kitchens are Paramount
February 2, 2013 By ·
It’s that simple. They are the absolute nucleus of the home. They are the modern day campfire, where everyone gathers: family, children, friends. Having a party? You might want everyone to congregate in your lovely living room, take in your beautiful fireplace and hearth, feel the warmth of … [Read more...]
Putting the Care into the Character of Vintage Windows
January 18, 2013 By ·
We have done a lot of window restoration, mainly of windows that are 80-130 years old. Mostly, the windows we restore haven’t been touched in decades, except some re-glazing and enough paint to make sure that the windows are stuck shut. There are different levels of window restoration. Bare … [Read more...]
The Cowboy Code: Using Heart of Pine to Disprove Father Time
October 24, 2012 By ·
How is it that houses built 100 or even 200 years ago are still standing? Every day, I see things that amaze me. Instead of today's framing codes that dictate 16" on center for roof rafters, I see framing that is sometimes 3 feet on center. That is some seriously gappy spacing for roof … [Read more...]
Unexpectedly Salvaging
January 5, 2011 By ·
I relish putting antique materials back where they belong. Re-hanging mantels back onto raw brick openings in old houses; installing hundred year old medicine cabinets into the wall cavity of a bathroom, complete with imperfect beveled mirrors, the silvering flawed and interesting; or hanging … [Read more...]
Infuse Spaces with Warmth Using Salvaged House Parts
July 19, 2010 By ·
Several of my most enjoyable renovation projects were houses that were totally violated: everything worth anything ripped clean out of them. In fact, I live in one of those houses now so I’ll talk about this one. We bought this house after watching it sit vacant for 7 years--of course, that’s not … [Read more...]
