Our customers are so often the exact inspiration needed for a new standard product.  Not only are you creative but you are very good designers – no wonder our standard line keeps growing.  This story starts when co-owner Mark Gatterdam met Aaron and Catherine in our showroom.

Aaron and Catherine have always had a fine appreciation for watching things unfold.  Aaron told us, “We have always appreciated furniture and viewed it more as functional art as opposed to things-to-put-stuff-on.”

Their house was built in the 1940’s by Aaron’s great grandfather for his Grandfather and Grandmother to live in.  His ever so handy Grandfather also built houses for his three daughters as well as another one for himself.  I’ll let him tell the rest of the story:

“They are all located in Baton Rouges’ Garden District Area adjacent to Louisiana State University.  Upon my grandmother’s passing Catherine and I decided to purchase the home from my dad and my aunt.  We felt strongly about keeping the house in the family; four of the five houses are still owned by relatives.  Our house is very small by today’s standards, just under 1,000 SF.

Catherine and I purchased it in rough condition.  We are on the tail end of completing a massive renovation.  Because the house is so small everything that goes in must be considered very carefully.  Too much of anything, or anything large and bulky, or the wrong color will weigh the rooms down and cause them to appear very crowded and cluttered.  Catherine and I have considered furniture very carefully.  We drew a lot of inspiration from pieces on display at the Festival of the Arts in Laguna Beach, California.

Catherine and I try to make the festival each year while visiting her grandparents on the west coast.  We have been considering furniture to fill this house for over three years…  we don’t get in a hurry.

We visited galleries when traveling on vacation and business.  I even considered building some of my own pieces (believe it or not I can hold my own in the shop.)  What initially drew me to Hardwood Artisans was the use of solid hard woods and the oil finish. No one does this for production… are y’all crazy?  Catherine and I chose standard pieces from the Hardwood Artisans portfolio.

We thought we would push you guys just a little bit with the idea of incorporating a more “unique” headboard.  It wasn’t until I saw the Motus Desk at the Culpeper shop that realized exactly what you guys are capable of.  We were hoping that you all could understand our broad design ideas and then use your talents and ideas to create a design that matched us.  That is exactly what you all did.  To me that is infinitely more difficult and personal then simply taking a customer’s design and building it according to spec.  We certainly appreciate the human element and emotional labor that you and your design team have incorporated so far.  We cannot wait to see the final product.

As far as names…  We’ll defiantly throw one in the hat for consideration…  We’ll need to sleep on it.  I’ll let you know our vote.

Aaron

Here are a few pictures of the final bed!

I was working in our Shirlington showroom a few months ago when I received a rather odd phone call.  One of our previous customers was entering to win a grant from the American Physical Society.  This was not a typical type of phone call.

He was entering the grant with the help of his family to win money to build a new, improved Penny Theater for the Noyes Children’s Library Foundation and was hoping we would help.  I told him I was interested but I did not have a clue what a Penny Theater was… do you?

Long story short the Noyes Children’s Library Foundation and this wonderful family use the Penny Theater to teach children all kinds of lessons.  The theater is small enough to be carried from one place to another yet large enough to host a whole play on it using small caricatures.

I and the rest of Hardwood Artisans believe education very important.  If you are learning the mathematics of building hardwood furniture, why the sky is blue or the technique of social marketing it is important to keep on learning.  I knew Hardwood Artisans had to help with this great project.  I knew we could build an enhanced, updated an perfect Penny Theater.  Here is what an older one looks like:

I received an excited email from Jan a few weeks later that stated:

“Great news! The Noyes Children’s Library Foundation got the grant! In fact, the American Physical Society likes the project so much that they told us it was the very first one they picked out of a very competitive field…”

Even better she told me:

“…We have also now obtained the permissions for use we need from HarperCollins Children’s Books, and from Mary Chapin Carpenter, who composed and sings the music that is the soundtrack for our project, Halley Came to Jackson. Also, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s personal agent told us that Ms. Carpenter is happy and excited about this project and is ”glad to be part of it.” Pretty neat!”

That is really neat!

So we scheduled a meeting and the family brought in what we needed to build to educate and inspire youth.

The doors on the side of the theater fold in to make a box that can be rather easily carried.  There is a special piece in the front that has lights on it to light up the stage.

This is a side view of the theater.  The actors are on rods and held behind the theater’s doors.  The theater can be worked by two people – one on each side.  The small space in the front of the theater is for the curtain to run along.

The theater lights up thanks to a very nice electrical box in the back of it and these Christmas lights.  The rods can easily be moved depending on the desired lighting affect.  Each strand of lights can be controlled individually.

Here is the Family that is making all of this happen and Greg.  Stay tuned to see how the new design looks at hopefully we will be able to capture a video of the new theater in action.

Thanks for reading,

Julianne Yurek

The Quince Orchard library folks have now agreed to help us with our project so we want them to have the same theater and technology.  The Noyes Foundation will be paying for the Quince Orchard theater, if you can make that third one. They don’t have any money at all.

We are proud to announce a new and attractive business partnership.  Hardwood Artisans is getting into art and framing – well sort of.  We have partnered up with an art and framing gallery in Alexandria, Virginia to keep our showroom walls fresh and beautiful.  The company is Broadway Galleries and they have just as much to offer as we do on a slightly smaller scale.

They are artists, designers and professional framers.  They build their own custom frames and work with loads of artists to help you create a piece of art perfect for your space. They all have a great eye for color and design.  If you come into any of our 4 showrooms you will see a picture of the Woodbridge wood shop they framed for us in a gorgeous walnut frame and thick mat.

The artist Broadway Galleries is currently featuring is Fred Eberhart an incredibly talented photogrpher.  Fred uses a unique photo stiching techquine that allows his photos to be shown very large without ruining the images quality.  Please click here to read a blog on his unique photography techniques.

His compositions are mostly focused on the beauty of the natural enviornment and fit in perfectly with our furniture as you can see with this photo of Freds work:

Our funiture goes perfectly with the serene colors of his artwork:

Adriana our showroom manager in Culpeper really likes Freds work.

His work can be printed in any size.  You might need it a certain size to go above your bed:

Or to liven up your office:

We are happy to work with you to find a piece just right.  To see all of Fred’s work please visit Broadway Galleries website by clicking here.

A special thanks to Barry Broadway for coming down to our wood shop to visit.  He found a few pieces of furniture he likes:

Cheers!

Julianne

When we first moved into our new shop in Culpeper I kept hearing about the airport behind our shop.  There was so much vegetation (and snakes) behind the shop it was difficult to see.  I have to be honest I didn’t think much about it.

While I have had the pleasure of getting to know people in Culpeper the kind people at Culpeper Airport reached out to us and offered 20 free airplane rides at our Lemonade Social.  What a wonderful offer!  You can sign up for a ride by clicking here.

I went over to the airport this week and had the opportunity to take a tour.  I am still amazed and delighted at the neat treasures the airport has to show off.  They have a whole Commemorative Air Force (CAF) hanger dedicated to storing incredible older and historic planes – not to mention a British armored fighting vehicle – a Ferret Scout Car.  Most of the planes in the CAF hanger still fly!  Check out this plane:

This is a Vultee BT-13 Valiant – it is a WWII basic trainer.  There were only 9,256 built and only about 40 still flying.  The plane was purchased by Squadron and restored to present condition by member labor and donations.  There is an outstanding loan balance of $15,500 for the engine overhaul, and an estimate of an additional $20,000 to complete restoration.  You can help complete the work!  We will be putting plant stands up as a silent auction at our Lemonade Social in July to help raise money for this beautiful aircraft.

If you come on over to the airport they just might let you sit in it.  I was allowed to:

Very cool!

Here are pictures of a few other treasures you can see in the hanger as well:

WWII USMC Torpedo Bomber – NCS General Motors TBM avenger restoration

There were 9,836 of these planes built and only about 40 still flying.

This plane is very interesting – it is very lightweight.  Her name is Gayle Ann and is painted in the markings of an L-5 that served in the 25^th Liaison Squadron in the South Pacific.  Known as the Guinea Short Lines, this unit was one of the most highly decorated of any in the 13^th Air Force.  The crews of Gayle Ann were credited with many successful forward air control missions and even with sinking a Japanese boat using hand grenades and submachine gun fire!

Their L-5 was to tow gliders after the war and was eventually crashed upside down in a tree.  The National Capital Squadron acquired it and their members spent several years restoring it to near-perfect condition.

As much as I like planes one of my favorite things to see and sit in was the Ferret Scout Car:

The nice gentleman to the right owns this great piece of history.  I even got to sit in it:

The Ferret is a British armored fighting vehicle (AFV) designed and built for the reconnaissance purposes.  4,409 Ferrets were produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK Daimler Company.  It was widely adopted by regiments in the British Army as well as the Commonwealth Counties and the last few vehicles saw action in Desert Storm in 1990.

The amazingly sturdy Ferrer is powered by a Specialist Series 6-cylinder Rolls Royce 290 cubic inch 130 HP commercial grade B-60 gasoline engine.  It features a Dry Stump Oil supply allowing it to function at extreme angles.  The engine is sealed and water tight so Ferrets can ford water up to 3 feet with no extra preparation and 5 ft with some additional sealing…

There is a small sign on the Ferret that explains more about it.
If you are coming to our 6^th Annual Lemonade Social I recommend you drive the mile over to our neighbors at the Culpeper Airport and check out the treasures they have in store.  The airport has also been kind enough to offer 20 free flights for our customers. Please see our lemonade site by clicking here for more information.

You can visit the airport’s website by clicking here.

All the best,

Julianne Yurek

Director of Marketing

Julianne@hardwoodartisans.com

In our Fairfax showroom: Jo Fleming

Ellipse at Dumbarton Oaks in acrylic/mixed media on canvas - $4900

I stumbled on Jo and her outstanding abstract paintings during last year’s Great Falls Art Studio Tour.  And even though that was last October, her work never left my mind.  Jo’s artwork fits in beautifully with the furniture in our Fairfax showroom.

Pear Tree in oil on canvas - $2400

Jo was born in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, where she says “the pristine deciduous forest was permanently recorded in my psyche.  I always knew I would be an artist from early childhood”.  The natural world is her true inspiration, and she sees it every day in the woodlands surrounding her Great Falls home.

Salmon Run in oil on canvas - $2400

Jo studied Fine Art at the Maryland Institute of Art and now works in the Architectural Design field.  She has been an artist for more than 20 years, painting the magnificent landscapes around her and transforming them into unforgettable works of art.

Cut Out Landscape in oil on canvas - $700 each

Jo prefers painting with oils and acrylics, but has also been experimenting with mixed media.  We’ll have to wait and see what she comes up with next.

Vine Summer in oil on canvas - $2400

Come into our Fairfax showroom to see Jo’s artwork for yourself, or visit her website at www.jofleming.com

In our Rockville showroom: Margot Miller

Caribbean Sky in oil - $275

North Country Sky in oil - $275

I made the long drive out from Arlington, VA to Easton, MD to meet Margot. And boy was I happy when I got there. Margot is such a wonderful host, not just in her studio and home, but her whole town. She took me on a tour and told me a little bit about the history of the area.

Trio of Fires in oil, - $375 each

Margot is clearly inspired by the different places she has lived and her environment. She grew up mainly in Ohio and New York, but currently resides in Maryland where she teaches translation, edits fiction and maintains a local art studio, Occasional Art.

Tornado in oil - $650

You wouldn’t be able to tell from the stunning details in her artwork, but Margot started painting in 2007, when she was encouraged by a teacher in a drawing class. She did not know until that moment, that she would love to paint. She started with acrylics and then moved on to water-soluble oils (which tend to be odorless and easier to deal with).

Night at the Marsh in oil - $375

Margot’s favorite subjects are usually landscapes with big weather. You will find many windy and stormy paintings in our Rockville showroom, or you can check out more of Margot’s artwork on her website. Also feel free to check out her web album that she posted.

We have 3 new wonderful artists that we want to share with you. We will be posting a highlight on each artist for the next week, so be sure to tune in.  They will be displaying their artwork in our showrooms until June.  Hurry in to see what they have to offer.

In our Shirlington showroom: Mary Eggers

Being a fan of Hardwood Artisans, Mary stopped by our Shirlington showroom one day and after noticing that we display local artwork, decided to ask what she could do to get her artwork in here.  All she had to was show me her website, and I was immediately captivated.

A Big Bouquet in collage - $750

At a glance, you can tell that Mary has a lot of fun with her artwork.  She enjoys working with watercolor, acrylics, mixed media and collages, and lately has been adding pastels in her artwork.  Although Mary’s “artistic journey started over 30 years ago with photography and progressed to stained glass and some painting”, she says that she only started painting seriously about 10 years ago.

And the Wild Garlic in collage - $750

When I asked Mary what inspires her, she immediately said “Color!!!”.  Her favorite subjects to paint tend to be from her travels, she is currently working on a series of paintings from the photos she took on her trip to Bhutan, India and Nepal.  And without a doubt, when you come into our Shirlington showroom, you will see that Mary also loves painting birds, birds, and more birds!

Sheltering in collage - $350

Fishing in watercolor - $350

Watching & Waiting in watercolor - $1100

If you want to see more of Mary’s work, you can visit her website at www.maryeggers.com

Mary’s favorite quote:

“Through such impressions one gathers oneself, wins oneself back from the exacting multiplicity, which speaks and chatters there, and one slowly learns to recognize the very few Things in which something eternal endures that one can love and something solitary that one can gently take part in.”  Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Semi-Finalist in the Washington Post Peep Contest!

Peepwood Artisans Logo

Peep! Peep!  It is amazing all of the words you can make a Peep pun out of.  Peepwood Artisans, Peeplydes, Murpeepy beds, peepsters – we have been rolling on the floor laughing at how Peeplarious the word Peep can be.

We advertise in the Washington Post Magazine every week and for years have been laughing at the Peep contest they host every year. My background is in interior architecture and I spent years in school building tiny little models with exact-o blades and glue.  My co-worker and one of our very talented furniture designers, Katie has a similar background.  We decided to make the jump and enter the Peep contest with Peepwood Artisans delivering furniture to Peeptown (Georgetown) to an apeepment on top of Peeplyde’s. (See what I’m talking about with the Peep puns?).

After our planning phase we went onto getting the structure built. Here is our AutoCAD drawing of the box the shop built for us.

We painted the peep box the shop built for us

We used a large assortment of colors. The “carpet” is actually pieces of felt. We thought a nice green would work well on the walls

We had a difficult time finding the right delivery truck. Our first try was an attempt to make a Hello Kitty ice cream delivery truck into our but the bows were too hard to get rid of.

A big thanks to Lorelei Hillgren for all of her work doing the graphic design. Here are the windows we made for “Peeplyde’s”

We had way too much fun with Marilyn Peeproe.

Not to mention Modern Peeps had to make an appearance.

Our favorite photo work was done by using one of our owners Kevin Carlson. He is shown on the back of our delivery trucks sitting in a drawer. Now he is a Peep.

The pieces of our Peep project came together slowly.  We had a game plan but the details we discovered in the process of making it were what really made us shine. Making clothes for the Peeps really gave us a laugh.

Check out these peepsters (hipsters) in Peeptown

Here is the description we submitted to the contest, with a few extra peep pictures for peeplaughs:

 M Street in Peeptown has been bustling for generations.  Apeepments in this area can be small, with tall ceilings, crown molding and lots of excitement.  This McPeep family is having an interesting afternoon in their apeepment above Peeplyde’s.  To save space the family purchased a Murpeepy bed to fold down and accommodate guests when they come to visit.  The youngest Peep – Patrick McPeep was playing around with the Murpeepy bed and got stuck in it!  Mrs. McPeep is calling the peepamedics to come save poor Patrick.

 The rest of the McPeep family barely notices her since they are watching Modern Peep and eating cookies. The living room holds pots and spices since the apeepement’s kitchen is so tiny.

Marilyn Peeproe is hung on the wall since according to Mr. McPeep, “She never goes out of style.”  Down on M street two hipsters or peepsters as they are more commonly called are checking out the scene after eating a delicious meal at Peeplyde’s.  The furniture company Peepwood Artisans is struggling to fit a large table up the small Peeptown hallways while their truck sits in the street backing up traffic.  Down the alleyway we see a Peep getting his evening started early.

Our peep piece will be on display through April in our Shirlington Showroom.  Starting May 18^th through June 24^th you can view it at Artomatic in Crystal City Virginia.

A special thanks to Lois Gloor for the professional photos we submitted to the contest.

And to Mark Gatterdam and Shaun Pierce for building the Murpeepy Bed.

Have a great day!

Julianne Yurek

Director of Marketing

Come see us at the Architectural Digest Show at Pier 94 March 22nd – March 25.  We are happy to announce the unveiling of our newest design – The Motus Desk.  Keep an eye out for pictures and a blog about designing the desk during and after the show.

Receive $5 off your show tickets by using the code “Hardwood” when you order tickets by clicking here.

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New York State Customers

Enjoy a special 

$300 DELIVERY

fee to anywhere in New York on orders placed between March 22nd and April 1st, 2012.  Simply, tell your sales person, “NYC2012″

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NYC Show Highlights:

Unveiling of our newest design – The Motus Desk.  Here it is:

All sides of our multi-functional desk.

The structure of the desk features two pullouts, one as a file drawer and the other with two functional drawers for office supplies. The drawers’ high-precision glides, typically used in private jets and  aircraft design, are made out of aluminum and can hold over 100 pounds per pair of glides.

The two pullout drawers fold in to save space, ideal for New York residents who are looking for high quality furniture that fit their needs and living space.

Cardboard cut of of the desk to figure out its shape and area for pull outs

“We wanted to create a desk for those who have small work spaces or home offices, but didn’t want to compromise on functionality or appearance,” said Katie Grech, designer, Hardwood Artisans. “We then found aluminum, airplane-grade glides that would allow us to hang a box from the top that could withstand the cantilevered weight without sagging or requiring support from below.”

In addition to premiering the Motus Desk, Hardwood Artisans will host a “Wine and Knife Sharpening Lessons” event Thursday, March 22, 5-7 p.m., featuring savory wine and lessons on the best way to sharpen your kitchen knives at the Architectural Digest Show in NYC.

A special thanks to the follow companies for helping us with the show by donating their gorgeous items.  Here is more information about them:

Susan Anthony Design 

Sandy Steele from: The Loft at AI

Paul from:  Great stuff by Paul

Amy from: Mills Floral

Oraley Shabahang

Flor modular carpet tiles

Supon from:  Naked Decor

Duralee Fabrics

Please check out our Facebook page for updated information about the show and check back for more posts!