Show and Tell

Here are just a few of the many interesting projects I’ve done, to show the variety I can tackle for you. I love a creative challenge! Some aren’t so grand in pictures, so I’ll mention that I also do lots of door knobs, deadbolts, ceiling fans and fixtures, along with many kinds of “honey-do” repairs, assembly of kits, and much more. Enjoy the photos, and please feel free to ask me about anything you don’t see!
This custom-made all-cedar playset stands 11 feet tall and has two 5×5′ platforms full of activities – take-out “diner” on the bottom and slide, phone and steering wheel above – plus launch to rope ladder and more. Cedar shake roof keeps things dry through the storms.
This family room sure seemed dark until the triple windows were added – up high to allow bookcases to still be on the wall alongside the brick fireplace.

BEFORE
It’s hard to describe the transformation from a dated looking 70′s brick fireplace to this massive mountain lodge look! A new heart pine mantle tops this real-stone refacing – making a dramatic feel to the room (especially at Christmastime).
A 17′ long hallway leads from the main house to a bonus room over the garage. Too good to waste this precious space! Now it features almost 100 linear feet of bookshelf space for all sizes and shapes of books – finished and ready for the customer to paint.
This brand new stainless steel sink, faucet and disposal installation totally transformed the kitchen’s usefulness for major meal preparation and cleanup.
This historic home had a naked fireplace and hearth in the kitchen – it just needed to get dressed! A little creative trimming did the trick – moulding and mantle. I can’t wait to see the customer’s final photos after she gets it all beautifully painted.
This customer’s (BIG!) dog was getting under the porch and wreaking havoc … until this beautiful lattice was added (next to the new steps I built for them a few years back ….)
She asked if I could build a BIG sewing table for her hobby – making custom draperies! It’s five feet wide and ten feet long with the extra drop-leaf – padded and fitted with a precise measuring grid. It rolls on heavy duty casters (though it can never leave the room!).
They wanted a TV in the master bedroom, but not to dominate – matching the existing crown moulding, and hiding the wiring and cable. A neat installation of receptacle and cable jack hide behind so it looks like it’s been there forever.
What you don’t see is thebright blue well pump hiding under this neat little 4-foot square house with a hinged and shingled roof; also featuring a handy spigot on the back wall for an easy-access garden hose.
This long L-shaped bench around a large backyard deck was REALLY in bad shape – old, weathered treated wood, rusty screws – just falling apart. This beautiful new TREX composite lumber version will look this good for many years to come!
A double parking space left no privacy to a small patio at this condo, so a sturdy vinyl fence and gate were the ideal solution. Solidly anchored into the concrete, it’s sturdy, beautiful and easy to keep clean.
I didn’t build this screen porch, but I sure did transform it with all new screens to replace the old wire ones the cats had clawed to shreds. Now it’s clear as glass from the inside!
This one is hard to describe,but it shows how I love a creative challenge! This horse owner needed a way to open and close the loft doors without climbing up there all the time. I engineered a pulley system of sorts to easily swing both doors open and closed from the ground floor!
I wish I could take full creditfor this beautiful kitchen, but the part I
noticed and recommended was the need for crown moulding at the top of the cabinets (they just didn’t look quite right with plain square tops).
Now it’s a masterpiece – a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy.
Needed: a ramp to allow a wheelchair to get over the track and through a sliding patio door, then down a 5″ drop to the sunroom – with no chance for falling off either side. A perfect slope, with all considerations covered safely.
Meet Blondie, the Bloodhound. Welcome to her doghouse – 7′x8′ with a 3′ porch, windows and a double-swinging door that will have you expecting Matt Dillon or The Duke to show up. Cedar siding and architectural shingles – I built every inch, custom all the way. (I’ll bet Blondie shares a bunk with a push mower and a leaf rake.)
This classy built-in mega-desk / work center houses an super-functional home office with a desk nearly 8 feet wide. Specially sized spaces for everything, and crown moulding matching the rest of the room in this lovely condo.
Here’s just one sampleof the many garage storage treatments I’ve done. Some are a full length wall, some have no doors, others are 16″ deep instead of 24″. That’s the great thing about letting me design and build exactly what you need!

BEFORE
How’s this for improvement? Those three old lopsided shelves had sure seen better days. The new display is nearly 10 feet wide and about 7 feet tall, so figure 80 feet of book space!
This 5,000 square foot retail space needed a lot of work – starting with a 12-foot long service desk – formica countertop, space below for storage, networked computers, plenty of outlets and lots more. Strong, functional and really classy!
This townhome owner wanted an attractive and sturdy railing for elderly parents, so this wrought-iron solution was solid and attractive enough to fill the bill.
“Just dress it up” were my instructions. After a major plumbing installation of an extra bathroom over the garage, this gentleman was left with quite an eyesore in the garage ceiling. My challenge was to construct a neat boxing arrangement, and leave access for any future needs. A very satisfactory solution in record time!
Once upon a time someone thought it would be a good idea to have an opaque 50″x50″ window over this upstairs bathroom tub. They couldn’t have realized that having a steamy sauna would quickly produce a rotted window frame. A new vinyl horizontal slider now makes it possible to enjoy the breeze and a view.
Never waste space - especially when you can create a beautiful wine room in the space under the stairs. The arch matches the design of bookcases around the corner in the living room. A ceramic tile counter tops the neatly fitted cooler – an elegant theme carried out with flair in a limited space.
This sunroom-turned -library presented a variety of challenges: to flank the large window and tie the two bookcases together with crown and valance, finished to the ceiling. Cupboards, drawers and space for a flat screen TV were all neatly incorporated into the finished masterpiece.
I assemble all kinds of things – and occasionally some pretty large and complex pieces that would be overwhelming to even reasonably handy folks. The 10′x14′ shed on the left is definitely a 2-man job!  Note: I’m probably the only guy who is glad to have YOU work alongside me to keep time and cost down. The double storage cabinets from IKEA were also a real challenge, with hundreds of numbered parts – but completed in record time.
 
I’ve also posted lots more current
photos on my PICASSA page >>>

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