simple by design

21__When pieces are not greater than the whole

2009-03-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

This coming week marks my final evening woodworking classes for the spring. The experience was well worth it. Not only did I get tips on how to properly use most of the tools that I have, but had access to extraordinary machinery many of whose value soars in 5 figures.

Taking full advantage of the resources, my personal project during the class was ambitious - not in its size - but how it exclusively used the tools I didn't have access to in my home shop. The result is a beautiful solid tabletop that blends 3 hardwood species to create a parquet floor effect. Coincidentally as I was giving the surface a finish coat my coworker came over to photograph some of my work. Here's an action shot with the near final product.

The top features cherry, oak, and jatoba - cut from three very small lengths of 2" thick rough boards. These were then jointed and planed to give square and level pieces. They were then cut into 2" strips and then cross-cut further into shorter lengths for the parquet effect. Finally once the puzzle pieces were complete, each strip is biscuit jointed on both sides to complete the solid wood top. It weighs nearly 60 pounds.

The final steps at the SCCC woodshop were to smooth all the joints with their 24" planer. The entire top could be leveled precisely with just a few passes removing 1/32" from either side. Then a quick pass through the 48" belt sander (yes, 4 foot capacity) and the finish is perfectly smooth. These machines are each about $20K - quite out of the question for the start-up woodworking operation.

Taking it home I rounded all the edges with a 1/4" roundover bit on the router, and the top was ready for assembly. The base is a recycled pedestal from a curbside throwaway that served as our dining table since we moved in last October. To my surprise, the rust that blotched the chrome legs was easily removed with my palm sander. Using a fine grit (almost buffering quality sandpaper) not only was the rust stripped away but much of the original luster restored. It practically looks brand new.

I turned a lot of heads in that classroom. There were skeptical folks who asked why I wanted such a variation in the wood color. The darker jatoba really stood out from the subtle oak and cherry. Although I'd never tried it before, I knew that each species would react a little differently by applying the stain, and it worked. The result is striking.

20__The early years: DC projects

2009-02-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

Ha, I know how ridiculous that title sounds. It hasn't been very long at all. Most of these projects were completed barely a year (or less) ago. But in a way it's a distinction that should be made, since my shop has grown so dramatically since the move - so too the projects have grown in scope and complexity. With this introduction, I want to showcase a few of my favorite projects from the past couple years.

First is a planter for a small herb garden. With a few tomato plants, cucumbers, basil & cilantro, this box soon became dwarfed by the height of plants and the vines growing down the sides and around the fences. Here is an image barely a few weeks past its completion.

By far the most complex project I'd built at the time, it maxed out the capabilities I had with my one miter saw, drill, and a finish nailer. The design features an inner box (painted black and lined with tarp to provide a moisture barrier between the wood & soil) with bands of weather-treated wood wrapping around the exterior. The clean lines and proportions are something I believe to be quite a success.
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A second generation project, this shoerack was my first true commission - at a whole $2/hour above the cost of materials. I really couldn't have cared less, a chance to share something conceived from my head to her living room for years to come.

I had built the first version for Nicole, and seeing it at a party our friend asked for one of her own. After having just tested the construction methods for the first time, I knew the setbacks to improve, giving a remarkably better result.

Because you're probably wondering how you use this unconventional shoe/shirt/towel/wine rack, check out a picture of it full:

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This may be the earliest hack I built, dating back to 2003. But it still holds an important place in the Florida Ave kitchen today. But of course: the Blamp.

Find a vintage blender, cut its cord, remove the blades, frost the glass and rig a lamp. It's the type of project I love - with a glow that perfect for backlighting the otherwise shadowy kitchen counters. If only I could have wired the buttons to turn on/off/dim the light, then it would have been genius.
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Keeping it in the kitchen, I wanted to clear clutter from the counter in a house shared by six. I saw an opportunity to use the wall space for a spice rack, making the dozens of them all readily accessible. It even incorporates the wall outlet, spacing it between the shelves on the far right.

The deep mahogany stain compliments the medium oak tones in the cabinets and contrasts the pale yellow wall color beautifully. Compare with a before photo below (should have put taken the spices out of the pantry for this one).

Here's a testament that simple and very affordable change can dramatically improve the atmosphere and functionality of the rooms we spend so much of our lives.

19__Alki Beach in February

2009-02-22T21:52:00.000-08:00

West Seattle is closer than it seems. Within the city limits and a mere bridge away from downtown, it's incredible how this tiny distance seems like a complete regional shift from the northwest to the beaches of California.

As temperatures soared into the mid-60s, everyone was out in the sun. Rollerbladers in numbers I hadn't seen in my life, bicycles, joggers, volleyball - what a bizarre thing to find barely 15 minutes from your house - especially when you didn't know it existed.

Later we explored the neighborhood, a small strip with all the coastal restaurants, bars, and boutiques you'd expect, plus a wide variety of consignments, antiques, and furniture shops. Passing through the "antique mall" (3 floors of crap!) I found the best nostalgia toy I've ever seen. At first glance it's a 7-up bottle with a power cord. But wait...

It opens up to be a desk lamp! And still looks like a soda can. Yet too expensive to even bring home. The pictures will have to tell the tale. What design!

On the way home we stumbled across an incredible lookout back across the bay to the Seattle skyline. This photo at twilight does not do the experience justice. Take a look at a pro shot from this same vantage point (not taken from a camera phone).

18__Experiments

2009-02-21T20:15:00.000-08:00

In the lull after the rush to finish preparing the house for visitors and the housewarming, I'm finally finding time to test some techniques that have been on my mind for awhile. These two projects are the first of many to follow. In a sense they are prototypes of a style - something of a collection I'd like to offer - which would be promoted locally through business card/postcard ads and a website in the coming months. While I'd like to offer custom pieces whenever possible, this is a starting point for anyone who's unfamiliar with my work (i.e. everyone but my family and friends).

First is a mail organizer. It will be wall hung as soon as the final finish coat dries.

The pattern is an experiment because it's not done with tape or paint lines, but is a repetitive cut through the finished board. Taking care not to scuff the surface much, I could take a black painted board and carve the natural wood streaks right out of it. Simple, slightly deceptive, but full of potential for future work. This is particularly exciting when creating textures or giving the illusion of multiple boards meticulously cut, sanded & joined. Take a look at an example of this I'd seen in a bathroom vanity at an open house:

It could save hours of time in the shop as well as in cost of the materials. Now back to the mail organizer.

I'm particularly proud that this handy piece was constructed completely out of scraps leftover from other projects and took a mere 3 to 4 hours to build. It's a shape and profile that I really like, with features like the color/texture/patterns that could be customized in dozens of ways. Overall a definite success.

Now for today's project. We grabbed a set of six chairs from a banquet hall that was giving away hundreds of them. I'd always planned on refinishing/reupholstering the set. Today I decided on a bit of a whim that I should go beyond a color change. Since the material cost was negligible I wanted to experiment with the shape and give the chair some flair. Check it out:

I'll admit it's not exactly what I was expecting, and may be a little too quirky for my taste. It was a fun challenge - a relaxed way to pass the afternoon without the pressure of what the final product would exactly be. My plan is to take the other 5 chairs and test new profiles and shapes with each. Why not? It'll make for a cool choose-your-own-adventure game each time guests sit down to dinner.

17__Modular Bookshelves

2009-02-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

In developing a set of low shelves on a budget I immediately began thinking of something modular. Who knows if the next apartment will have a ten-foot stretch of wall? I wanted there to be a rhythm to the complete piece while providing varying heights for books compared to oversized magazines & larger format art books.

The shelves vary in depth, following the subtle angled profile. This minimizes the shadows on the lower spaces, while suggesting an overall organization. Smaller paperback novels fit best on the upper shelves with larger textbooks below. This assures books of similar sizes to be together which is more visually appealing.

Constructed of birch plywood, the larger bookcases are finished with a clear water-based acrylic lacquer to maintain their natural color. The narrower bands between are stained to exude a deep walnut tone.

A photo of them full is soon to follow. They really complete the living room!

16__A week with the old roomies!

2009-02-17T18:09:00.000-08:00

John and Andy came to visit last week and stayed nearly a week! In a stroke of luck I was able to get most of the days off to take them around town. Since it was by far the most things we've ever fit into a week here's a laundry-list summary of what happened:

tuesday--
Linda's on Capitol Hill hosted a 15th anniversary night featuring a free shirt, 1994 beer prices and cheap food. 2+ hours of food and drinks for 3 people = $24.

wednesday--
Baby-sized burritos (literally an infant) were shared at Gorditos. Shock and awe crossed with pure culinary delight.

We won trivia night! Probably not much of a surprise considering our visiting ringers. Didn't hurt that one of the categories was the Inca Trail.

thursday--

We explored Seward Park and Columbia City. I made drinks for us as we soaked up the Seattle coffee shop vibes at my bakery.

Some things never change.

We later explored a new bar in Capitol Hill featuring a mural artist whose canvas was recycled wood strips - followed by word games at the Stumbling Monk with the best selection of Belgium ales in the northwest.

friday--
I finished the bookshelves to prepare for our housewarming party that night.

Nicole took the guys to the dive through the bins at the Goodwill Outlet - an adventure in itself and a guaranteed afternoon killer.

We then showed the guys the quirky Fremont and Ballard scenes. On Ian's recommendation we all tried the Cuban sandwich at Paseo, and it proved the best sandwich we have ever tasted.

In Ballard we played many many rounds of Skee-ball at King's Tavern and saw the largest record collection (possibly on Earth) at Bop Street Records. The owner talked our head off while giving us the tour of his 750,000+ collection.

Our party that night brought a fantastic group together. Nicole's and my coworkers, friends we've made through those coworkers, combined with the friends we had known before we moved here. I loved being able to show off all the projects I'd finished, too. While still a small gathering of 20 or so - everyone's reaction was "I had no idea you knew so many people."

saturday--

We used this gorgeous day to try and fit in everything outdoors. Andy and John tried scooting. We explored Discovery Park at the edge of Queen Anne.

Afterwards a wrong turn prompted an excursion to the Ballard Locks where (unlike DC) we got to see them in action!

With a stop at the fish fry and lots of Bananagrams later, we took off to explore the eclectic Georgetown neighborhood. It truly is the opposite of it's DC counterpart in all ways except it being the oldest part of the city. A community of artists, tradespeople, hipsters, and bikers - filled with 100-year old warehouses - it hosts some of the best nightlife in the city. Our destination featured pinball, shuffleboard, and peanut shells all over the floor while still maintaining a classy & casual atmosphere.

sunday--
The rest of the gang went to brunch while I worked the morning shift. We experienced the goodness that is Half Price Books, a used bookstore that pales in comparison to Portland's Powell's, but sparks your interest for hours with all the cheap entertainment you could have.

We then witnessed a competition that exposed a whole other side of Seattle to me. We went to an international break dance competition at the Experience Music Project. If we could have cut out the ridiculous commentary we probably would have lasted awhile longer, but the sheer talent and strength of these performers was remarkable.

What a good week! Now back to usual...

15__The Dresser

2009-02-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Many of you have heard me talking about it. "What are you working on lately?" The answer has almost exclusively been this over the last two months. 100+ hours in the woodshop, it's finally done, and it looks gorgeous.

I'll talk about it in depth soon. But for now here's a couple photos.

If you were wondering, the casing is birch plywood with stained hemlock drawers.

14__Scooters and Bonfires

2009-01-18T13:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend has proved the most fun yet in Seattle. Doesn't hurt that I've had an extra day (this gorgeous 50-degree, football-filled Sunday). There's been an empty-house sendoff party, a new scooter purchase, plenty of woodworking in the shop, friends stopping by to pass an hour, and tonight Nicole is in a play at the Filipino Community Center - highlighting an active and diverse week.

So Wednesday night we said goodbye to Lynette and Chris. They're en route to North Carolina, having sold all their furniture before the party. The opposite of last year's BYO Cup party, this night had the slogan "if you like the plate you're eating on, take it with you!" The yard was surreal.

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You enter a 10-foot hedge fence (I went back to snap a photo of this in daylight) and inside is a terraced lawn and garden - with a fire to gather around.

The next day we decide to simplify our transportation issues. Nicole and I have always been sharing one car. Seattle has a good transit system, but everything we do usually falls within a couple miles of home. These are easy distances, and we've been talking about the advantages of getting a scooter for months.

It's very fun to ride, can park anywhere, and gets 110 miles to the gallon. 100+ mpg!! And filling up is under 3 dollars.

Just the day before, we'd gone to look at a used one at the Capitol Hill dealer. It was going to save a few hundred bucks, and came in a cute yellow that Nicole liked but between the time we reserved it and came back the next day to fill out the paper work and pick it up, the shop closed for business overnight!!

Not even the salesman had any idea it was coming, or he would have been sure to finish the deal that night. It was a little disheartening, but much worse for the staff that lost their jobs. Tough times are certainly among us.

One proud scooter (and the scooter)... ha.

13__Cutest Infestation Ever: Bamboo Housewares

2009-01-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

So the new year has brought with it a collection of new furnishings for our home. They're all modified (hacked) products, something that I get great satisfaction out of. It may be something that anyone can find, but once you've made it your own - it's a unique reflection of your taste worth showing off. All three of these items are bamboo, but as Nicole reminds she's asian - so it's alright.

Project 1

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I can't tell you the anticipation I've had piecing together this wall clock. When I found the dish I wasn't thinking: clock! But after being mesmerized by the dense concentric circles, I knew it was the perfect surface to turn into one of the first accessories in my collection.

I found a number of places online to purchase the quartz movements. There's hundreds of options, and better yet very very good volume discounts. When purchasing a case of 100 the price for each hovers around 10% the cost of buying just one.

It's a simple and beautiful piece. Plus it's bright warm color brings a smile every time I see it.

Project 2

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We hate carpet. It's not the texture really that bothers us, but more the drab look that it exudes. The bluish-gray fuzz under your feet with the white walls (textured to prevent us from painting) is enough to make you want to scream.

So when searching for the ideal Christmas gift I found a reasonably priced full room bamboo rug. It's an ideal makeover for the living room. Thanks Mom & Dad! When looking at the thumbnails online, the colors seemed much more rich and radiant than the delivered product. We still loved the look of it, but wondered if we could easily transform it to exactly what we were hoping for. I tested the corner of it with some wood stain, and was shocked to see that it was mostly (if not completely) unfinished - which made for an easy stain and polyurethane job.

Better still we found a new palette of stains available that (similar to their latex cousins) are mixed to order directly in the can. The result is this gorgeous "coastal gray" finish that really accentuates the bamboo look. Check out the before and after combo photo! And this is just during the first coat.

Project 3

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Here is the resurfacing of my plant stand from last spring. It's the same clean line simplicity that I love to work with. It's a very primitive first prototype with the cheapest wood available. I'll find an image of it from our DC home with the beautiful orchids that originally inspired it.

Here there was a place in the room without much sunlight that called for a tall grassy plant who could hide (or be highlighted by) the lights that illuminate the fabric above for our homemade canopy bed. In the search for the right plant, these bamboo stalks stood out. They are virtually impossible to kill (unlike the orchids which barely lasted the month) and came in a variety of heights to achieve a nice layered effect. I still plan on finishing the stand with stain or paint but have been ambivalent since it's been lacking something to display for most of the last year. I do still love that in it's natural state, it looks as if it's been carved out of one tree trunk.

Thanks for listening to my rants. More updates to follow!

12__Grassroots Networking

2009-01-14T18:22:00.000-08:00

If there's one advantage to my job, it's that I see most of the customers several times a week. I've grown to know what many of them do, and have met a few great resources for my own design work as it just begins to leave the drawing board. They have a really eclectic skill set between them from interiors to boat building to welding, but each has given time to answer questions that would otherwise linger without some guidance. Here's a little free (yet pretty worthless) press giving some background on their fields... any press is good, right?

There's Jenn, the owner of Gather - a gem of an art gallery in Columbia City. Exhibitions have featured everything from neon sign artists to a grandma who sewed a 100 dresses for her (then) toddler of a granddaughter. Hmm, not much foresight in making them all the same size. This is art where least expected, which makes it that much more striking to view. Jenn and I spoke about possibly helping her build some casework for her exhibits, as they change monthly. An exciting thought at the very least.

Pete, an independent craftsman specializing in boat building and interior remodeling, seems much like a mentor for my work. I've been able to ask him countless questions about how to use/approach this or that, and he's taken the time to sit down with me in his shop and show me proper techniques first hand. Check out his personal collection of boats. Incredible detail!

Just about my favorite regulars are Jack and Barbara, they're among the first I see most mornings - and always help make that slow first half-hour breeze by. Barbara works on commercial interiors for DesignTex, a large company based out of New York. Jack was kind enough to offer that Nicole and I join them for Christmas dinner when the airport was in havok and there was legitimate uncertainy as to whether we'd actually leave the city before the holiday. It wasn't an empty gesture either, we exchanged numbers just in case.

Finally, Colin - who is our neighbor - works as a hobbiest welder. A part owner of Haulin' Colin, he welds bicycle frames and trailers. There's photos of people moving their furniture via bike - check out the link! His steady job at the Bikery (love this name) supports the hobby workshop space that he has in Georgetown. In mid-December we went to an open house at the shop. It's an incredible collection of 40 independent studios who share a warehouse. The was everything from fine furniture to blacksmiths to guitar crafting to painters. Quite a utopia, with the type of shared space to aspire to join in the coming years. Plus, the possibility of welding a frame or legs to a piece opens an exciting new realm for future design work.

There's much more exciting news to get to! I'm backlogged with about a half-dozen posts I want to share. Another update very soon I promise.

11__Winter Wonderland

2009-01-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

When the snow fell and fell each day during the last weeks of December, it turned out to be among most challenging conditions this area has ever seen. With terms like snowpocalypse and snowmageddon being tossed around, this was clearly a landmark event in a place whose winter lows hover around 40 degrees. When that figure dropped (and stayed in) the 20s - the snow continued to fall and refused to melt. Take a look at our front yard on day 1.

This paralyzed the city's public transit, 75% of the bus lines were either cloed or re-routed. With snow plows nowhere to be seen (rumor says the city owns only 4) the neighborhood roads were piled high, and even the major thoroughfares were only partially cleared by the tracks of stubborn cars & trucks who could manage to move. Hills were littered with cars stuck in the snow. For many this came as a call to skip all remaining days of work before the holiday. Christmas vacations started for the kids in school a week early (with an early bonus day due to faulty forecasting for what Seattlest called "a much deserved cloud day"). But when the snow arrived it sure did make life hell.

Here's an image of the streets courtesy of Seattlest's flickr site.

What's funny about the whole mess is that the city had a strict no-salt policy in efforts to protect the environment (over the safety of the people in that environment). There is a clear rank of priorities in this town, and nature is bigger than you. If we had this mentality all the time, the world would clearly be a better place, but for those from anywhere else in the country - used to certain responses which keep the pace moving despite the snow - this was the opposite. Elsewhere we joke about panic-induced drivers, here life really does come to a halt. You are limited to however far you are willing to walk. And walk, walk, walk we did.

Day 5 of the snow. One of the busiest roads in the neighborhood (still empty) with the Sound in the background, just before sunset.

Regardless of the conditions, I still had to get to work. Snow days for others meant some of our busiest at the bakery. So with shifts starting at 6:15, my days began around 4. Nearly four hours before the sunrise, I began the walk to work. I didn't have to walk the whole 3 miles, just about halfway - where there was a reliable bus line that could take me the rest of the way to Columbia City. The first day, this was awful. I hadn't yet accepted that this was just how it had to be, and was mostly still bitter that my car was stuck & the buses weren't running. The next time and subsequently the rest of the week, these walks became some of the most pleasant walks I've ever taken. They provided an hour a day of solitude and reflection (no one is walking around in the snow at 5 am). Seattle looked like a snowy winter wonderland, with it's rolling hills and covered rooftops, christmas lights abundant. Check out my favorite house:

So despite the hassles that seemed overwhelming at first, I couldn't have appreciated those mornings more. The final walk in the snow came the evening of Christmas Eve as I headed to catch the bus to the airport. As I was only hours away from seeing family, I knew to soak in the moments that were a white christmas in Seattle. This headache was a once in a lifetime moment for this city, where there was a real sense of disconnect from the greater city structure. By public safety standards the atrocious response to the snow would be considered a minor disaster. Not to me though, these days proved that for once your neighborhood was your boundary - you walked 10 blocks to get a handful of groceries, went sledding down the closed-off street, and basked in a calmer way of life.

10__I made chocolate chip belgian waffles

2008-12-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

They were delicious. Thank you goodwill for the 2.99 waffle iron. The perfect place to get all the random kitchen gadgets you wouldn't otherwise buy for the cost of 1.

This ridiculously fugly cookie jar agrees, if you've got 3 dollars to spend - the possibilities are endless. He's holding Nicole's christmas gifts, but she doesn't know it yet. We're exchanging them later today. Can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees this guy. It's huge too! Like over a foot tall. Clearly the best hiding place ever.

There's a food blog post coming shortly. Consider this one your appetizer.

09__A green development open house

2008-12-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

Working for Windermere real estate, Jesse brought up an open house in my neighborhood that perked my interest. It's a green townhouse development - 8 homes sharing a site that typically would house 3 single family detached homes. Already there's expectations of a densely packed condo feel that I'm expecting to dread. No one wants to live in a condo, they do because it's what they can afford to buy or they love the amenities or some such yuppy reason. The biggest drawback to a set of condos - especially those in a charming neighborhood in the city - is that it removes you from any street level interaction reducing your feelings of belonging to your community. It's no longer your home, it's your building, where I live with 50 of my closest strangers.

When I sublet from the apartment tower near Thomas Circle last year, it was shocking how removed the residents were from one another. It was like a business relationship - you don't live on my floor, I don't know you and I don't care to. You see the same people in the elevator or walking down the halls, but there's an overwhelming sense of anonymity to this labyrinth of hallways & rooms. These people just want to left alone.

Thankfully this development was different. It's 8 townhomes each have a separate entrance from the street level. The design accommodates this by winding a pathway of reclaimed bricks (the "urban canyon" as they call it) through the center like a narrow courtyard. All 8 of the entrances pull off this path, rather than some on the street side and others in the center. This reunites the separate units by giving them their own quiet neighborhood block just steps away from the busy streets of capitol hill.

As for the interiors they feature open floorplans, the latest eco-friendly appliances and heating and cooling systems, greywater recycling, radiant heated floors, and even compressed paper and cashew resin countertops! CASHEW RESIN?

The staging was impressive, they used modern furniture often created through another eco-friendly process, like tabletops made from reclaimed beams of demolition sites. And I was very intrigued by the bathroom vanity:

It's all plywood and cherry veneer! It's not even edge-banded. Not too different from the amateur work I'm actively doing. It is striking & I love that the handles are incorporated into the doors, but I couldn't help thinking how inexpensive the materials were in respect to the enormous pricetag these homes are asking. Then later when I read up on the paper & nut resin countertops in the eco-construction book my sister gave me, I learned that it's the cheapest method available, rivaling that of traditional laminate counters.

So while I was impressed with the overall experience, I was disheartened by the feeling that although the technology is becoming more widely accessible and affordable, developers are finding ways to profit in even bigger ways off eco-friendly construction due to its novelty.

As I would love to live in a home like this, a $660K pricetag (200K more than a comparably sized home in the area) will keep me on this side of the fence for now. On the outside, looking in.

08__The hours that don't count

2008-11-23T00:49:00.000-08:00

When trying something new, there's bound to be setbacks. These moments challenge you to stop, rethink, and modify your approach - simultaneously rejecting your (now) incorrect assumptions while adapting to get the end result.

I like problem solving. When you get there, it's worth it. But it's the hours of uncertainty (when it just might fail) that get overlooked.

Today this happened twice.

Problem 1
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A scanner purchased for $3.99 (and you thought this was important! HA!) from Goodwill turns on but jams as it scans. I admit that I know not one thing about how one of these works, but it's the transparency of the surface that lured me in. "What do you mean it's stuck, you can see the parts turning!"

Notice the handyman's trusted assistant, Mr. Blue Ribbon.

So inside there's motors and plastic gears and rubber bands and circuitry. Many times I paused, thinking you don't have a clue what these are, why are you doing this? Maybe it was that I just paid for a broken scanner and was determined to redeem said questionable judgment, or maybe that I saw tiny screws all over the place and thought that you know how those work - give it a shot. So carefully, I removed one piece at a time, testing after each, and 9 out of 10 times it failed. An hour later, thinking then that it was even more busted than when I started, I had removed and replaced all the moving parts - and who knows why - but it works.

I got so giddy, I scanned my mousepad.

Thank you, Goodwill for the chance to test my total lack of electronical knowledge and succeed where I should have failed. And now for the irony...

Problem 2
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A recently purchased circular saw $49.99 (significantly more substantial) was supposed to save me time in the dresser project I have in construction. I read the manual, it shows me a pitifully vague diagram that says loosen the lever to adjust the depth of cut. Keep in mind that now we're in my area of expertise. I deal with these parts all the time, should take seconds, right?

But the lever is stuck. There's a bolt with threading that I think I have to adjust. It's entrenched in a crevice of the machine. I try for two hours to loosen a piece I can't reach. Somehow it's the one size wrench I don't have. This is beyond frustrating. I use clamps to try and just jam the lever down.

I get so fed up and annoyed at this new purchase that I decide it's not worth it and it's going back. That's when I realize the lever goes up. It goes up. I spent hours jamming this thing down, and it goes up. The scanner made me feel smart and the saw made me feel stupid.

I should join the Geek Squad. I'll need thicker glasses... with tape.

07__When something you thought was finished surprises you...

2008-11-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

Just this week two projects that I had wrapped up on my end months ago have surprised me with how well they're turning out.

In architecture news, we've just submitted a revision set for the roof deck of my old neighbor's house in DC. When this project is completed in the coming months it will be the strongest testimonial I have to date towards my own design aesthetic. The Deckers were ideal clients, allowing me to approach the project with a blank slate, developing ideas together, and respecting my knowledge in the trade. Six months later the construction will soon begin. Check out a preliminary design rendering!

My last week in DC I spent many many hours building a set of bookshelves to wrap around the ceiling of John's room. It was really challenging to form fit them to walls that weren't so square (they were too hip to be square) but the finished product looked pretty good. Here's a photo of when I was done with them:

I just saw the photos of them painted, and wow - I'm impressed. John put a geometric pattern that is quirky and yet totally fitting for a room already featuring a Dr. Seuss pole. Check out these images, it came a long way.

Updates to follow soon with photos of the workshop I've recently finished setting up in the basement - plus the most involved project I've built to date (as far as the joints go) should be finished this week. Our apartment will have furniture soon!

06__Flash mobs = instant fun + lasting memory

2008-10-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Remember having a pillow fight with your sibling? Or playing dodgeball in gym class? How about Halloween choreographed dance routines in hazmat suits (bye, bye!) Now take any of these already fond memories and bring hundred of people who've never met together.

What you get is spontaneous entertainment. The anticipation builds - everyone is still strangers at the onset. Then in a moment, the crowd breaks down all individual boundaries of space and anonymity to provide 5 minutes of absurd fun that you can't believe you just witnessed. The crowds are controlled - since partaking in these activities outside of the flash mob would probably be deemed a newsworthy assault. "Man attacked by pillow fighting gang! Victim said to be in stable but embarrassed condition."

Last March, on a visit to the city during West Coast road trip 2008, there were rumors swirling that such a mob was assembling. It was happening at 3:15 at the Pike Marketplace. Emails had been traded and forwarded to friends and friends, bringing hundreds to the tourist center of town. Included in the mission was to keep your pillow discretely stashed away until the signal. There was a suspicious attitude on the faces of everyone involved. Does he have a pillow in the shopping bag? Is that guy hiding one under his shirt, or is he just oddly rotund? The heavy cop presence certainly makes me think something is about to happen - but how did they hear about it? It is supposed to be a mob, who's the snitch?

Then 3:15 comes. Everyone is still. They look at one another, wondering if this event was just hype - as there are no pillows to be seen. At the strike of the next minute a yell silences the chatter of the crowd. Everyone opens their bags & backpacks screaming. Unknowing tourists are petrified, scurrying from the pack.

The next 3 minutes flash by, but the memory is priceless.

Seattle has an affinity for these trivial pursuits. Regularly, crowds of 100 or more gather on the tennis courts of Capitol Hill to play 50 on 50 dodgeball. The intensity will amaze you, expect high competition and even taunting in the quest to gain the superiority these "ballers" wish they had in middle school.

Then just today - as advertised in the local paper - a group organized to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller. This decked out group of over 100 zombies in full costume and face paint performed in Pioneer Square as part of a global effort of simultaneous reenactments to achieve a Guinness world record. For what, I'm unsure. Most people reenacting Thriller at once? Surely stiff competition for that title. We can't just let the inmates at CPDRC have this one?? Regardless, here's all that face paint in action.

At the end of it all we may still be strangers, but united with a passion...

for silliness.

05__Our Town... I f***ing love that play!

2008-10-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

In the ever-so-poetic words of one of my architecture school colleagues, here's some photos of our place. We'll start with my favorite part: the view!! Capitol Hill is to the right of the picture
and Downtown is just beyond the tree line. At the top of the block, you can see the entire skyline.

Here's another glance before the sunset:

Moving inside, our apartment is the top floor of a house. Not one room like before. Take a look at where all our stuff was supposed to fit... at 9' x 10'. Also eye those hardwood floors I helped put in.

We really did luck out with the location of our new apartment. It's an easy drive that takes less than 10 minutes door-to-door for me in the early mornings, at a whopping 3 miles. Even better it's a block away from one of the only bus lines that does not force you to go downtown to get anywhere. Nicole can easily bus to work in less than a half hour - incredible for public transit.

An additional benefit is we're only 10 blocks from the nightlife center of town. The central district doesn't boast an impressive list of amenities within (it's all residences) but the proximity to everything else is perfect. Plus there's a moment when you cross 18th Ave when you're at the crest of the hill. In one direction you see the Seattle skyline, then turn around and to view a gorgeous mountain range. It's quite surreal.

So for the interior of the apartment, there's the kitchen (with skylights)

Plus hardwood floors and tile countertops, which I'd never really considered before but love the look of.

Move to the other side of the stairway and you'll see the living room. These two spaces are relatively open to each other, with half walls between them and the stairs. Check out the coat rack I finished today (in the foreground).

Then to the left of the photo above is the bedroom. We recently found an incredible fabric shop in Capitol Hill. It's inspired me to reupholster chairs for our dining set as well as fabricate an inexpensive and alluring wall covering.

It's hard to see in this image, but it is back lit (with my usual x-mas lights of course - the $2 lighting solution) - providing an ambient glow to relax by. Now if we could finally clean the place up a bit... In time?

Come visit! A nice couch is waiting for you.

04__Ready, set... race! (conference)

2008-10-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

It's an annual event featuring lectures and workshops, and might be one of the only places where such a discussion of awful stereotypes and perceptions is confronted so openly.

So much excitement filled the air the night before the race conference. This could have been the group that was together rather than a city-wide feeling (hmm? A dozen Americorp folks who work everyday to promote equality.) For this group, it may draw comparisons to something like the Superbowl. There's the keynote speaker/QB, whose performance everyone has been awing all season. You'll find discussion panels resembling offensive lines and workshop coordinators giving halftime speeches to rally the team for the second half (in this case: the future).

The only problem in this analogy is that everyone involved is playing for the same team. That everyone who would attend the race conference already supports equality among all groups and those who would benefit from such a candid conversation about race in a PC world would never show up, unless forced to attend as part of a job training exercise - more about this later.

One of the workshops asked us to rank as a percentage "how far we've come in promoting equal rights in the US?" We listed basic rights, then the groups who could exercise those freedoms and when they were granted. Obviously the last 40 years have rapidly improved, "but are we there yet?" was the follow-up question. A diverse group in a progressive city (such as Seattle) came to a consensus that we're 20% of the way there. The rights exist, but mostly on paper rather than in practice... and the list of examples where these are still restricted is abundant.

Now shift the conference to a city deeply rooted in the South. Change the dynamic of the audience to a work training session and one without any minorities in attendance. Their answer to the same question most often is 90 to 100%. How can we confront the problem when those who practice racism most think we've solved it?

Obviously it's a tough issue to deal with, but one where awareness is the first way to help. And for those of you who couldn't care one bit about sports analogies, here's your halftime show:

This is what happens when your conference is set in the tourist mecca of the city... you can see one of the blue legs of the space needle in the background of the photo. So this guy can juggle fire - big deal - what else can he do?

He can balance a unicycle on his chin! Now, I'm impressed. Follow this up with a Disneyworld monorail experience (which I did ride part of the way home) and Seattle Center really does have it all. If it all is a trashy theme park.

03__Steve the architect / baker?

2008-09-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

A new calling? I doubt it. Within the first week of being in town, I realized that with a job market the way it's been going the past few months - I can't count on securing a job in architecture anytime soon. This doesn't mean that I wouldn't consider working for a firm again, just that when you only find one post a month for an opening you need to find other means.

I work 5 days a week at the Columbia City Bakery - recognized as one of the best places in town for breads, pastries, and coffee (which says a lot in a city which loves its coffee)

Honestly, I find the change in scenery from a cubical to behind the coffee bar to be really refreshing. I spend my mornings (starting at 6 am! can you believe that i could do this) greeting customers, talking about life - hobbies - sports - vacations, then get them their espresso and pastries. Aside from standing on your feet all day, this is an ideal way to make a living.

The staff are awesome, they're all in their 20s and 30s - and great company for the shifts. Seeing everyone putting so much work into these delicious foods makes me a bit jealous that I don't know how they do it. The bread is incredible! Plus ham and gruyere croissants & a different quiche everyday! If there were ever a ploy for me to gain some weight - this is it.

Today I learned how to make a dry cappuccino. Just espresso and milk foam. Much harder to achieve than it sounds. I am anxiously awaiting the chance in life to bring these skills to the coffeehouse/furniture shop that features all my own work. A neighborhood hub where you can buy the furniture you sit on, designed by the owner himself. This may very well be my life's ambition. If there's anything I have learned from the experience so far... it's that coffee brings people together.

Another exciting feature of this job, is how many regulars I've gotten to know in only a couple weeks. Just a few days ago I met a local glass-blowing gallery owner who told me that she's looking for a local craftsman to build the platforms for her displays. After talking it over, it may be one of my first projects out here! The bakery should be a great way to promote my own work in the coming months.

02__Ultra-Mod Pod Party

2008-09-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the going away party. It was so good to have a last hurray with full contact games and even a bonus room.

That fine specimen of a moving pod, decorated industrial-minimalist, served a perfect escape from the rain and intimate seating for 10.

By the morning of the move, it looked more like this...

The rest of the night was a blur. Ask Andy how the night ended - if you think it'd be cute to know we shared a bed unintentionally (or subconsciously who knows?) The friendly owner at Tenley wine & beer asked the next day if there were good stories from the party. What do you say to that? "Woke up with someone in my bed and have bruises from wrestling for pong balls, but your keg was delicious!"

01__Welcome!

2008-09-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Lots of things are changing, the surroundings are new (again), career aspirations are in flux, and you may be wondering: "what's up in their lives?"

To anyone that wants a little insight into our days here in Seattle, I give you this blog.

I'll do my best to update about once a week. I see it as an exciting way to show off the projects I'm working on and to give a bit of news to family and friends. Enjoy!