Out of necessity and functionality are the reasons things are built, I would also include a smidge of personality and challenge to keep it interesting. Learning a new skill along the way is always a bonus.

I was given woodworking equipment and lumber from my father-in-law, a passionate woodworker his entire life. The wood collection included maple, walnut, cherry, and some padauk, most in the form of 10’ planks. I was happy to receive the wood, but the issue was protecting it and storage space.

The solution created an opportunity to try a different approach to a SHED. I wanted to break the frame from the standard straight-line roof. My inspiration came from seeing some structures with roofs caving from failed trusses, visually giving them a slope like a Norse-pagoda.

I began by setting the gravel for the base of the structure and added a landing from the yard step down. The landing is framed with Belgium block, to keep the mosaic of the stone stable. Polymeric sand was then used, to lock in the stone design.

The design was made with the app Sketchup. The app was a big help in figuring out the specific truss geometry, critical measurements, and an approximate supply list.

Originally I wanted the roof to be copper, but the cost was a bit crazy so I instead settled on cedar shingle roof and using copper for the roof of the cupola. PVC the same material used on trim was used on the outside of the cupola so I wouldn’t need to repaint. I hate heights and ladders….

Craigslist proved to be an excellent source for the door- $30 including the jamb and a scenic drive to Cape Cod for pick up. I repaired the door frame, inset glass panels, and refinished. The utility door is biscuit jointed pine and finished to match the front door. The awning windows, (hinged at the top of the frame), were old storm windows that I found down the street for $3 each. I was able to refinish and replace the glass.

Piece by piece I tore our old upright piano apart for parts and to make it lighter to move out of the house. From all the salvaged metal and wood pieces a PIANO BENCH was built, because we were in need of one. The bench is supported with the back and cantilever of the side panels. The top holds two hinged compartments for keys, of course, and the pedals have tension so you can press them down, if you like.

My Great Aunt Marie gave us this OCCASIONAL CHAIR when my wife and I were just starting out and didn’t have much furniture. I remember the chair when we would visit my great grandparents, and great aunts. From its storied history of repairs and industrial vacuum run-ins it was in need of reupholstering.

I tightened the arms and frame, stripping the varnish and sanding the years of nicks and scratches. I stained the wood dark and polyurethaned with a satin finish. INspiration was found in the fabric at Zimman’s, an upholstery fabric store, in Lynn, MA., who also finished with the end upholstery.

I made an accompanied footstool and upholstered it myself. I reclaimed some feet I found at a local antique store that added the different materials of glass and metal.

As the story goes…

An elderly woman once worked at the town’s dog pound. When the pound closed, the owner gave a small piece of land to the woman. We were told she was kind and only due to an accident, she no longer could live alone in the tiny house. We purchased the property and built a new home.

Prior to demo, we salvaged items and materials we thought could be reclaimed:

-address number 9 decal

-a couple pictures taped to the wall

-bathroom curtains

-cigar box including a metal piece, a can of scratch remover and a metal plate etched with the name Wilbur

-half-built garage structure wood planks

I was able to repurpose lumber from a garage structure on the property to use in the construction of a SLIDING BARN DOOR, that was made for a laundry room. I collected mis-tinted paint from the local home improvement stores and coated the lumber with multiple layers of paint. The lumber was then planed and sanded in different ways revealing the multi-layers of paint and sealed with two coats of satin polyurethane. From the back of the door I built in a shadow box to showcase those few items we found in the original home, bringing an acknowledgment and thank you to history, with the wood and treasures found.

We had come to a point when it became clear that our two boys needed to have a room to call their own for our own sanity as parents. The plan was to find furniture that would help maximize storage. We found a great BED DESIGN at a hoity-toity store and made the purchase.

Our house in Lincoln RI. was a quaint 1936 colonial. The term “quaint” translates to tiny closets, narrow staircase, and constant repairs and refurbish. When delivery day for the huge beds arrived, it became clear that their would be no way to bring them up the tiny staircase… we had to refuse the shipment.

I ended up making the beds. The maple was sourced from, Jarmak Lumberyard, in Oxford, MA. The maple was originally from a Providence, RI, factory floor located by the Providence harbor.

The beauty of the bed design is that the frame breaks down; headboard, footboard, 3X drawers, bottom and top frames, and support pieces. No broken backs, easy assembly and happy boys in their own rooms.