One of the coolest Idea Houses I worked on is now toast. Lightning started a massive fire that burnt the River Dunes, NC home to the ground earlier this month. It is a such a waste of a gorgeous home.
Saddest thing to me is that the 4′ x 7′ red oak dining table that was custom built from old barn timbers was presumably also destroyed by the fire. It was a beautiful piece—pardon my prejudice—that I really enjoyed building. You can see more pictures of the table here and there is a shot of it in the news video above.
This is not a terribly rustic way to go into the woods, but it is very cool. A craftsman in Roanoke, VA, came up with this gorgeous teardrop pull-behind camper that is nostalgic and luxurious at the same time.
Take one look at this baby and you’ll see that this camper’s daddy was a furniture maker and designer. The form is the same as the classics of the 40′s but the exterior is mahogany and ash, giving a “woodie” persona. The interior appointments maintain the family character and make camping anything but roughin’ it. The base cost of one of these babies? Just $16,500.
In a small bathroom space is at a premium. Recently I replaced a vanity and counter-top that ran the length of a bath with a European-style, shallow-profile vanity. At that time, a new light fixture and a re-framed medicine chest were added.
While those improvements were needed, the reduction in counter and under-sink storage space were a problem. So, built-in shelves were next.
Finding the studs was the first step. A standard stud-finder worked like a charm and from there I could measure out the 16″ centers and start taking out the drywall within the selected space. (interior space between studs is normally 14.5″ unless you have an unpredictable old home or a nutty contractor built the wall)
Once the drywall was punched out using a flat-head screwdriver and a hammer (most efficient way I have found), a couple shelves of 3/4″ plywood were cut and inserted. Friction plus some wood glue made for a good tight and permanent fit.
Built-in shelves, close-up
I used some left-over 4 x4 stone tile ($5/sq ft) for the main part of the shelf tops and some smaller squared sheets ($10/sq ft) for shelf accents and the back of the shelves. After tan grout is worked into the cracks the shelf under sides and frame will be completed with poplar stained to match the mirror frame.
In the process of updating a bathroom trapped in the 70″s, I had to make a decision about the medicine chest. To replace or redo. The chest itself had nothing wrong with it except a worn, out-of-date frame around the mirror.
Rather than contribute to the volume of junk in the local landfill, I opted for replacing the frame. I took the chest out of the wall and disassembled the mirror from the metal box. It was held there by about two dozen screws.
The metal box needed a bit of light sanding and a quick spray paint job. The mirror was in perfect shape and really was a very nice piece of electroplated glass. Probably cannot buy one this nice any more.
The replacement frame was made with mitered corners from standard poplar purchased at Lowes. I bought a European-style narrow profile vanity from the local box store. It had what the manufacturer called a Cherry finish. Trying to match that color required testing several different stains on scraps of the poplar. The final choice was one by Cabot called Red Hickory. I put one coat of the stain on followed by one coat of satin polyurethane. A light pass with fine steel wool followed by another coat of finish was all it needed to match the finish of the vanity.
Total cost of the project: $20. Compare that to at least $100 for a new medicine chest. Love it.
Just received a thank you letter from the Birmingham Symphony Decorator Show House Design Team. The Virginia College students have learned their lessons well and listened to their mothers instructions on etiquette. They were great to work with for starters and now they have proven themselves gracious and well mannered. Below is the text of the letter.
The 2009 Designer Show House has come to a successful close. The entire Design Team from Virginia College would like to thank you for your willingness to help us achieve our goal of creating an interesting and inviting playroom in our assigned space. We would not have been able to create our vision without the generosity of supporters like yourself, especially during these trying economic times.
The room was a child’s “Enchanted Forest” playroom and the gorgeous handmade cabinet you loaned us was the perfect addition to the room. Not only was it the correct size but was beautifully handcrafted and received many favorable comments on the quality.
Once again thank you very much for loaning the cabinet to our effort, it helped to make our room a popular and well-liked living space. We look forward to patronizing your business in the near future.
“The children’s playroom, decorated by students at Virginia College, is a woodland wonderland. The wooden stage, topped with an arbor, is trimmed with river rocks and features a chalkboard background “so they can change the scenery,” says instructor Ginny Aday. One corner of the playful, angular room features a hand-painted tree, trimmed with fairies, while another is outfitted with a custom-built banquette, which is upholstered with a brown-tweed fabric and topped with robin’s egg blue pillows.”
No mention of my piece, but it may not have been delivered yet. I got it in just under the wire.
Delivered cabinet to Birmingham Symphony Decorator Showhouse today. Did not get to see the entire house, but the children’s room is very fun and well done. The cabinet fit in perfectly and the interior designer (Ginny Aday Interiors) in charge of the commission was pleased. Of course, I forgot my camera, but Ginny took this picture at the patron’s party and sent it to me. I heard that B’ham Magazine will be doing a shoot so will be on the lookout for their coverage.
Another photographer was at the house. I was very pleased to see my friend Jean Allsopp there. Her photos always showcase a house well. I also met designer Marjorie Johnston who decorated the foyer.
Showhouse opens April 24 for touring.
Monday – Saturday 10am – 3pm, Sunday 1pm – 5pm. Tickets are $20. For more info, click here.
Delivery tomorrow to the showhouse. Finish was still a bit tacky, but by morning it should be fine. I applied a coat of paste wax over the satin polyurethane to dull the finish even more. No time to add much in the way of peeled wood accents, but did add a natural twig handle. Hinges are rusty iron and there is a hidden door catch. I am pleased and hope the interior designer will be too.
You will find here the musings of a self-taught woodworker, crafts-person, and novice potter. Projects, plans, and products relative to rustic woodworking will be featured on occasion.
Enjoy!
In the process of updating a bathroom trapped in the 70″s, I had to make a decision about the medicine chest. To replace or redo. The chest itself had nothing wrong with it except a worn, out-of-date frame around the mirror.
The replacement frame was made with mitered corners from standard poplar purchased at Lowes. I bought a European-style narrow profile vanity from the local box store. It had what the manufacturer called a Cherry finish. Trying to match that color required testing several different stains on scraps of the poplar. The final choice was one by Cabot called Red Hickory. I put one coat of the stain on followed by one coat of satin polyurethane. A light pass with fine steel wool followed by another coat of finish was all it needed to match the finish of the vanity.
From AL.com:
Delivered cabinet to 
Delivery tomorrow to the