Blog | Marvelous Woodworking

30 Nov 2020

Marvelous Woodworking Mudrooms Permalink

The Geometry Behind Redesigning a Mudroom

Marvelous Woodworking November 30, 2020

The family catch-all place tends to be that little room between the garage and the kitchen. Organizing the coats, shoes, backpacks, sports equipment and all of the other trappings of daily comings and goings is usually the goal behind redesigning a mudroom. While adding some lockers and shelves may seem straightforward, there is actually a lot of design and production planning necessary to ensure the homeowners achieve their goals.

My client was looking for a storage solution for her mudroom that would hide all the family mess behind closed doors. She wanted a locker for each of the four family members, as well as shoe storage below and off-season storage above. I also had to consider the constraints created by the layout of the existing space – in this case, a doorway and light switch.

Designing the scale of the unit considered a variety of factors. My goal is always to extend its functionality over the changing lifestyle of the family – from kindergarten to adulthood. In this case, the children were at the age where a lot of equipment and uniforms needed to be stored. The four locker units had to be designed to store everything from adult-sized dress coats to bulky backpacks. Multiple pairs of shoes per person needed to be stored in the lower area and I wanted to make the most of the space left over on top.

The mudroom had high ceilings, so I was able to craft tall lockers. This design meant the interior hooks were fairly high, but if the family still had small children, I would have suggested adding two levels of hooks to grow with them.

The shoe area below was designed to fit all types of footwear – dress shoes, winter boots, sneakers and cleats.

Off-season storage in the upper level would have to be accessed with a ladder, something my client was not worried about. Her goal was to have an off-season closed spot for hats, gloves, holiday decorations, etc.

One of the benefits of building custom storage is that I can match the home’s architectural details. I continued the crown and base moldings in this locker design and crafted the door panels to complement my client’s mission-inspired style.

Since I build as much as I can in my shop to keep the mess and inconvenience minimal for my clients, part of the design planning is understanding how I will get the unit into the home. I build each piece like a puzzle based on the process I will use to install it. There’s no use creating something that cannot fit through the door! In this case, I crafted the unit in four pieces – the bottom shoe cabinet, the top storage, and the 2 locker units. Once the main pieces are installed, I add the trim, hardware and touch up paint.

Most of my clients reach out to me after doing a lot of searching for a piece of furniture. What they discover is that nothing either fits their space or their needs. Redesigning a mudroom based on the available space, family needs and the rest of the home’s design makes for a better end result. For this project, my client not only got everything she wanted, but it looks like it was always a part of the home.

If you are frustrated with the off-the-shelf options for your mudroom, reach out to me. Send me an email, or give me a call at (317) 679-5890.

30 Oct 2020

Marvelous Woodworking Fireplace Mantels Permalink

Updating a Fireplace Mantel

Marvelous Woodworking October 30, 2020

A fireplace is much more than a way to create warmth and ambiance during the colder months. It is an architectural focal point for any room it is in. Remodeling your fireplace can quickly elevate the look of your home. Updating a fireplace mantel is an easy step to take to change the look of your home, and I have helped many clients complete this project. Below I offer some examples to help inspire your fireplace design ideas:

Updating a Fireplace Mantel with a Modern Look

My clients were updating their home to a more modern style and the fireplace was central to the design. Like many open concept style houses, the great room had nothing to help anchor the space. Designer Elaine Pauley decided to turn the fireplace into a full feature wall. The homeowners essentially started from scratch, changing out the old firebox so they could alter the shape of the fireplace. The new surround was covered in tile and I was brought in to add the wood elements. I installed shiplap on the wall from top to bottom and crafted and placed a new offset mantel. Everything was built from unpainted poplar and then stained to match other wood elements in the home. The previous fireplace was lost on the huge wall; now it is the highlight of the room.

Click here to learn more about this project.

Creating a New Mantel for a Historic Fireplace

Historic Home | Custom Fireplace Mantel

My clients loved their historic Ft. Benjamin Harris home, but it needed to function well in today’s world. I helped them add both architectural details to accentuate its old-world charm, and added many new elements to help them live in it more efficiently. Mahogany was a common theme in those projects, and when it came time to create a new fireplace mantel, it was the natural wood species to use. If you talk to an interior designer, there are specific proportions that should be used to scale a fireplace mantel correctly, based on the height of the ceiling, the shape of the fireplace and the size of the room. My clients and I spent a lot of time coming up with the perfect proportions for the space and their aesthetic. The rich wood complemented the existing tile surround while also serving as a visual masterpiece.

Click here to learn more about this project.

The Perfect Mantel for a Fireplace TV

Custom Fireplace Mantel | removable mantel

Since TVs started getting larger and lightweight, people have been installing them over their fireplaces. One problem with this design is managing all the wires, especially if there are no plans to remodel the wall behind it. I kept being faced with this issue, so I developed a fireplace mantle design with a cord chase within it. While some holes had to be created to channel the cords to their associated electronics, I was able to hide them behind the new mantle. My clients were able to have the functionality they needed without all the ugly cords or wall repair bills.

Click here to learn more about this unique design.

Hiring a custom woodworker for updating a fireplace mantle means the sky is the limit for your design. I have experience helping clients find and create the perfect look for their home. Send me an email or give me a call at (317) 679-5890 for a free consultation.

25 Sep 2020

Marvelous Woodworking Historic Restorations Permalink

Hiring a Custom Woodworker for Your Historic Home Renovation

Marvelous Woodworking September 25, 2020

I find that most of my clients working through a historic home renovation came into their houses for a reason. They either bought it for its unique charm and architectural details, or it was handed down through generations of family members. Either way, they all share one thing in common – they are looking to update the functionality of their home while honoring its history. Most of the time, off-the-shelf furniture or materials do not fit the bill, and they need a custom-built solution. Below I offer many reasons why a woodwork craftsman is the best person to help these homeowners achieve their goal.

Custom Woodworkers & Historic Home Renovation

The Right Tools for the Job

Since I have worked on many historic home renovations, I have invested in the specialized equipment necessary to ensure a new element looks like it has always been there. Often the architectural detailing I am trying to match requires unique router bits that most contractors do not have. Also, it is rare (and not preferable anyway) when I can craft what is needed on-site. I have a large workshop with specialty tools where my work will not get in the way of the homeowner. 15-20 ft pieces of trim that need multiple router cuts and custom cabinetry that creates a lot of dust and fumes are much better managed in my workshop than in my clients’ garages.

Thinking on Your Feet

You never know what surprises await under a floor, behind a wall, or above a ceiling in a historic home. Also, things are no longer square! Ingenuity and an engineering approach are needed to problem solve the unique challenges of renovating an older home. For example, I had to recreate columns in the Parry Mansion from just a few architectural hints in the existing base molding. I designed and crafted something that no longer existed with little information that ended up looking original to the space. I thoroughly enjoyed that challenge!

Not Off-The-Shelf

Mass market furniture and trim manufacturers are in the business of building things that suit a large number of people. Historic homes are filled with elements that were handcrafted on-site years ago and need the same custom work today. For example, my client wanted built-in cabinetry along a wall with a window. I designed a window seat with a shelf above, and cabinetry on both sides. However, the two sides were not the same width. I built the unit with all of the doors the same size and filled the extra space on one with a cubby for stereo equipment. The design makes it look balanced, but if you really look at it you can see one size is wider than the other. There was no way my client could have found a piece of furniture to suit her needs. The custom solution made the most of the space and looks like it always been there.

If you are planning a historic home renovation, reach out to me. You will work directly with the craftsman (me), not a crew. I am the guy who does all the measurements, planning, building, finishing and installing. That attention to detail is what makes a project successful, ensuring you get the customization you are looking for. Send me an email or give me a call at (317) 679-5890.

21 Aug 2020

Marvelous Woodworking Bookcases, Historic Restorations Permalink

Meridian Kessler Mid-Century Home Renovation

Marvelous Woodworking August 21, 2020

Mid-century homes don’t seem that old to me, but they feel that way to most of the people who own them! Even 60+ years ago different construction methods existed than those we use today. And, most likely those homes have seen multiple previous renovations, leaving lots of surprises behind the walls and under the floors. The ability to problem-solve and develop creative solutions is why hiring a custom craftsman is a smart choice. My clients asked me to help with their mid-century home renovation for exactly that reason.

The homeowners were looking to add custom storage options to their 1950s home. The first project consisted of a built-in bookcase, which is usually pretty straight-forward for me. However, my clients wanted fixed shelves that did not form a straight line across the unit. Creating the design involved exact specifications to ensure they got the look they wanted. They showed me a picture of a similar design and I used the proportions from that image fitted to their space. I worked closely with my clients to create the final design. Add to that unique design an existing ceiling that had been dropped during a previous renovation. Instead of repairing the original ceiling, former owners had built a new ceiling over it, making the height of the space a bit shorter than normal. It was also warped – another reason a custom-built solution was needed.

I crafted the unit on top of the existing carpet – something I always suggest to my clients. Cutting the carpet would require re-stretching the remainder, adding another expense to the project. When new flooring is installed later on, the installer can take the base molding off the unit, cut the carpet, lay the new flooring and replace the molding. Flooring contractors are used to doing these steps so it’s no big deal and saves my clients money.

More Mid-Century Home Renovation Surprises

In another part of the same room, I added a built-in entertainment center in an empty space next to the fireplace. Previous owners had added a false wall to this area, and when we took it out, we found out why – there had been a fire and the wall structure was badly charred! I gutted the space and built the storage unit. My clients liked to play video games but wanted to be able to hide all the components etc. when they were not playing. The TV space, drawers and shelves were all custom-built to fit their electronics.

One “drawer” is actually a door leading to the power source. It is against electrical code to bury electricity behind a drawer, but my clients wanted a uniform look. This unique design was an easy solution for a custom woodworker!

As a final touch, I added crown molding to the adjacent fireplace, not a simple project when you are dealing with a funky ceiling.

Like most older homes, working in a mid-century modern home renovation almost guarantees surprises will appear. That’s when hiring someone with an engineering bent is really beneficial since they are skilled problem-solvers. Sometimes it’s a quick fix, sometimes it takes some deep thought and research. Either way, having a knowledgeable craftsman in your corner will help ensure you end up with the home you love.

Looking for some custom woodworking solutions for your home renovation? Send me an email or give me a call at (317) 679-5890.

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