Taking a break from building...

We took a break last weekend from building, and helped a friend make a beautiful gift for his musician wife.  Here is the amazing piano cutting board in progress:​

This thoughtful husband was entirely hands-on for this work of art.  We were happy to assist, and the results were amazing!

This labor of love was painstaking to make, but worth it - I hope she likes it!

Here it is with a coat of food-grade finish:​

It may be true that we've been hankering to use our new band-saw and this was a perfect project to break it in... or maybe we just have a big heart for romance.​

Either way, ​it was fun to take a break from our regularly scheduled program and make something that turned out as lovely as this!

Spring Cleaning!

Its springtime and time to change out the winter woolies for shorts and flip-flops!  Now is a great time to start a home renovation or painting project.

At headquarters, there is a lot of work underway.  HQ was built in 1897, and the fireplaces were once used for coal - so they are very small - too small to burn wood or for most gas stoves - but we found some lovely, albeit tiny, stoves to use.

 We are filling un-used chimney cavities with vermiculite and lime, and installing stainless steel ventilation pipes in the to-be-used cavities.  We are doing this to stabilize the mortar joints of the old chimneys. Time and weather has not been kind to the chimneys, and they have a very definite lean to them... we'd like to keep them from toppling over!  Lime mortar alone would be very heavy, so we are mixing it with vermiculite, which will lighten it up, but still provide the stability we seek.

Next we will install gas logs or stoves - just in time for the summer heat!  The crew is working hard, but neatly - as always!​  ​

​This is a cavity awaiting concrete and vermiculite - to stabilize the chimney.

​The gas stove/log, waiting for installation

​Another stove/log waiting for installation

​What spring projects are you hoping to accomplish?  Get a fresh start on a new project. And keep checking in to see if our chimneys survive the makeover!

Coming soon!

Building a website - akin to building a house?   Not exactly - but important none the less - to us!  We are working hard to design a site that will appeal to the potential client who wants quality workmanship, attention to detail, and historic preservation.  We live in Richmond, Virginia, rich with history - and rich with vintage homes.  We strive to maintain the integrity and historic fabric of our clients' homes, incorporating modern amenities and conveniences without disrupting the aesthetics of an older home.

We will be chronicling our projects here - you can track our progress and see how a job at your home would look!​