Remember when you were a kid and you drew pictures of houses? Each house had a triangular roof, square windows and a rectangular door—until some predictable spurt of brain development prompted you to add shutters to the windows and your parents declared you a savant. I'm guessing you probably never thought much more about shutters … Continue reading What’s It Gonna Take to Shutter Up?
I spent a fascinating Saturday morning with Chris Barber of Barber Woodworking (pictured here), discussing the timeless beauty of Classical design proportions and the soul-crushing frustration of SketchUp software. Seriously, SketchUp is enough to make you want to knock yourself unconscious with your wireless Logitech mouse. But once you figure it out—with help from Chris … Continue reading Golden Means to an End
Learning how buildings get put together has changed the way I see the world. For example, the first time I entered the tobacco barn pictured here, I thought of a cathedral. How something so large and lofty (and, in some places, so indifferent to perpendicularity), could stand so long in a Kentucky meadow, was nothing … Continue reading Upon Further Consideration
Someone recently asked if I had ever heard of Houzz.com, and all I could think was, "Do you mean the online rabbit hole where I chase my growing fascination for urban poultry into an infinite universe of lavish and lovely chicken coops?" Yes, I have heard of Houzz. An online platform for home improvement and design, … Continue reading Houzz Warming in Nashville
Since enrolling in construction school last year, I've been mulling over an idea for a business. The idea is to design and build freestanding rooms for people who long for "sacred spaces" that won't fit inside their houses. For example, I want a workshop. You might want a meditation chamber, a yoga room, or a … Continue reading Get a Room
Apparently, you can't take the restaurant reviewer out of the girl, but you can merge her with a middle-aged mom in trade school to get a report that's equally focused on construction and cuisine. That's what happened this week when I attended opening night at Oak Steakhouse in the new Westin Hotel and found myself … Continue reading Food & Wood: Oak Steakhouse Nashville
A veteran house-framer helped out in our class this week. He taught us many things, not the least of which is that I don't need my tape measure as much as I previously believed. This revelation comes as a blow, because I love my tape measure. Even if it isn't a fancy Stanley LeverLock like the … Continue reading The Measures of a Man
Build Me Up, Buttercup 