Blog

A Brief History of Engineered Lumber Engineered lumber is a composite product, formed of shaved or scrap wood and special adhesives. Its value is that the finished product is stronger and more rigid than the sum of its parts. Plywood, the first engineered wood product, was patented in 1865 but nobody much noticed it until […]

Happy Hobby Spaces Once the kids were gone, it was time to settle down to some serious hobby time. The quilters needed a place to meet each week that gave them plenty of natural light, comfortable seating, and room for a large quilting frame. The sawdust engineers needed a workroom where they could make as […]

Taking Advantage of the View If you owned a condo on a golf course, wouldn’t you want to be able to enjoy the view? This owner insisted on it. When he made an offer to purchase a 1985, two-story condo the sale hinged on him being able to redesign the space so he could see […]

: A little creative thinking can go a long way In 2001, when a busy family of five bought this 1986, 2-story colonial they knew it needed updating. The kitchen was dark, cabinet space was limited and the layout was inconvenient. The breakfast nook was so small that even when it was not in use […]

Fun and Functional The teenagers in this family had no place to gather where they would be safe from foul weather and still feel like they were free and outside. The new screened-in porch provided Mom with a mud room, Dad with save passage from garage to kitchen and back, and the kids with a […]

No Need to Feel Boxed In Anymore! The most important trend in home design over the last several years or so has been the increasing popularity of open floor plans. Often called great rooms, these open living areas are a combination of kitchen, dining and family activity spaces where the different functions are defined not […]