Simply Beautiful Furniture.
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.
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:
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.
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.
The flagpoles at our new woodshop in Culpeper, VA
At the end of the year 2011 Hardwood Artisans will move its whole woodshop and its employees to our recently purchased new shop space in Culpeper, Virginia. We have spent most of our Hardwood Artisans life in Woodbridge, Virginia building furniture for you, your family members and your friends. We have been expanding over the past ten years at about a rate of about 3%. We are hoping this will continue for years and years to come.
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Hardwood Artisans is excited to announce that Lois Gloor, our first original employee, has joined the Susan G. Komen 3-day for the Cure. It’s a 3-day walk billed as the “biggest, boldest event in breast cancer [research] history.”
Lois first became aware that the issue of breast cancer was increasing when one of her long-time customers at Hardwood Artisans was diagnosed with it. And then, her daughter’s future mother-in-law was diagnosed. Lois decided that there needed to be better ways to detect and cure the problem.
Lois's Daughter, the founder of the Gloor Bassler Group
“My daughter asked me to join her team to raise funds for cancer research. Since it involves walking 20 miles per day for three days straight, I’ve started preparing. Hopefully I’ll be ready by the date of the event.”
We’re positive that Lois will do great!
To help Lois get to the donation goal of $2,300 (hopefully more), we will have donation options available at our Lemonade Social. If you can’t make it out on July 16th to our Woodbridge shop, you can call 800-996-3DAY to donate for Lois Gloor over the phone or visit her page to donate online.
We’re excited to have such great opportunities available at our Lemonade Social and can’t wait for July 16th!
For more information about the donation process, you can visit the website at http://www.the3day.org. If you want more details on our Lemonade Social, visit our website.
I really enjoy designing custom cases for people. I like the customers I work with, and find them all interesting, and I like to get personally invested in projects. If I spent my career just making shiny boxes, I think that would be very boring. Rather, I spend a lot of time getting to know the needs and wants of my customers, and as a result, a lot about the customer themselves.
Cliff and Donna came in to see me this winter. They had just moved back to the area from Alaska, and were in need of a custom wall system to hold a variety of things.
This was all normal stuff at first. Then we discussed scale. Donna showed me the fireplace. It was huge, larger than any fireplace I had personally seen. The room was enormous. The ceilings were very high. The job was now to design an eclectic looking piece that fit the space as well as complimenting the array of objects collected during their many travels.
When Donna told me she wanted a cabinet ten feet tall, twelve feet long, and thirty-two inches deep, I thought she was a bit delusional (sorry Donna-we love you). Once she pulled out her ipad and showed me pictures of the space, I understood the scope of the project. Scale is a driving force to any design, but I find that the space a cabinet sits in also defines the project.
We sat down and walked through all of the ‘this and that’ about what the unit would hold. I really did not know how this would work out. After several hours of AutoCAD, I finally figured out how to do this. Working a design is all good, well, and fine, but you have to execute the task, transport the unit, and get it installed. The sheer size of this job made me re-think how we build cases.
Once the case hit the shop, the lead craftsman and my buddy, Brent, proceeded to question every detail and decision. He always does this. I think he takes a bit too much pleasure doing this, but he is very good, so I really can’t complain too loudly (he’s a little fussy, don’t you know, like most good craftsmen). Due to the depth, he suggested two sets of lights, two in the back and two in the front, to ensure proper illumination.
Brent also suggested adding a top to the crown. This was great for me because I felt the crown was small, relative to the size of the cabinet. I had not come up with a good solution for increasing the scale. This top added a little more mass to the whole effect.
Lastly, Brent wanted to add a second back to the TV area. In today’s world, we don’t need a 32” deep TV cabinet. The “false” back keeps the space from looking cavernous, hides the wire management, and keeps anyone from having to dust way back in the cabinet.
The last problem was the actual execution of installing the cases. I had designed it to come in nine sections – six cases and three platforms. The real problem was that two people could not lift sections of the wall system. The center hutch alone weighed about 250 pounds. They had to strip the cases of all the doors, drawers, shelves, etc. and bring a third man. Oops, looks like I owe someone lunch, again.
The installation took over 12 hours. We had already included things like wire management and vents in the plinth to allow for air flow from the vents we were covering in the floor. The fact that a lot of parts had to be removed added to the time.
I think the overall system turned out just the way I had envisioned. Cliff and Donna have told me that they are pleased with the final results. More important, I had a very pleasant experience getting to know these two lovely people, and I got to solve a problem for them. Like I said, I consider this the best part of the job, and I can’t wait for the next adventure.
Mark Gatterdam
Saturday, June 4th
Join us on Saturday, June 4th for talks on the principles behind the psychology of color, how to choose the right color for your home, where to begin when designing a built-in and the current color trends for the home. There will be wine, drinks and hors d’oeuvres. We hope to see you there!
Location:
Hardwood Artisans – Bradlee Shopping Center
3622 King Street. Alexandria, VA – 703.379.7299
A problem solving built-in design by Hardwood Artisans Alexandria showroom manager Larry Northrop
Event Timeline:
11am: Built-Ins… Where to Begin?
By designer & craftsman Larry Northrop
12pm: The Psychology of Color Selection
By designer Denise Willard
1pm: Envision Color 2011
By color expert Alitia Cross
Event Details:
11am – Built-Ins… Where to Begin?
By designer & craftsman Larry Northrop
Larry Northrop has been in the woodworking business for 40 years. He has designed hundreds of built-ins, from custom kitchens and space saving solutions, all the way to cabinetry and desks in the executive office at the White House. Learn what you should know before you begin, and a few tricks from the trade. Please bring any questions you have. Larry will make time to answer them.
There are all kinds of space saving solutions you can utilize with built ins.
This built-in is a white board, a table, and a Murphy bed!
12pm - The Psychology of Color Selection
By designer Denise Willard
Are you looking to update the colors inside your home this spring, but are overwhelmed by all the choices? Do you want to learn some of the secrets professionals use in selecting just the right colors? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then this talk is for you.
Learn about the principles behind the psychology of color. Learn why red is most often used in dining rooms and blue in bedrooms. Learn how your body reacts to certain hues and how a local design professional uses this knowledge in selecting the right colors for her clients.
How does this room make you feel? Design by Denise Willard.
1pm – Envision Color 2011
By color expert Alitia Cross
Alitia Cross will talk on the current color trends for the home. She has been in the design industry for years and currently represents Benjamin Moore & Co. She is a sales representative for the architectural & design community. There will be time after the talk to answer any paint or color questions.
A special thanks to Benjamin Moore for their talk and sponsoring the event.
If you have any questions prior to the event, call Julianne at 703-643-1044 or e-mail her at Julianne@hardwoodartisans.com
Could this work in your home?
Hardwood Artisans is thrilled to have designer Denise Willard of Décor by Denise scheduled to talk at our Color + Cabinetry event on June 4th. Denise will talk at 12pm in our Alexandria Showroom on the Psychology of Color.
Here are a few details on her talk:
Are you looking to update the colors inside your home this spring, but are overwhelmed by all the choices? Do you get stuck making decisions on which color is most appropriate for each room in your home? Do you want to learn one of the secrets professionals use in selecting just the right colors? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then this seminar is for you.
Come learn about the principles behind the psychology of color. Learn why red is most often used in dining rooms and blue in bedrooms. Learn how your body reacts to certain hues and how a local design professional uses this knowledge in selecting the right colors for her clients.
Design by Décor by Denise. Built-in crafted by Hardwood Artisans
Design by Décor by Denise. Built-in crafted by Hardwood Artisans
About Décor by Denise
Décor by Denise is a full service interior decorating firm located in Vienna, VA. Denise Willard, owner and principal, has over a decade of experience transforming the homes of clients in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Denise’s work was recently showcased in the 2011 DC Design House and she was selected as to be included in Home & Design’s 2011 “Top 100 Designers.” Her work has also been showcased on ABC Affiliate, News Channel 8, and has been published in Home & Design Magazine, Washington Home & Garden, The Washingtonian, Elan and The Washington Post. Denise is a regular columnist for Viva Tysons Magazine and is part of the Design Diva team for AskMissA.com, a national lifestyle eMagazine. Denise is the President-Elect for the DC Chapter of the International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) and is an active member of the Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce.
For more information about the event please click here.
Contact information
Décor by Denise
340 Mill Street, NE, Suite F
Vienna, VA 22180
Blog: www.DreamDesignLive.com
Email: info@decorbydenise.com
Phone: 703-714-7343
A Special Thank You to Benjamin Moore for Sponsoring the Event
Here at Hardwood Artisans, we are always so excited about the local artists who display their artwork in our showrooms. From woodturners to painters, they all possess amazing skills. The latest addition to our showrooms is a wonderful potter, Hadrian Mendoza. Hadrian works out of the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center along with many of the artists who display their works in our showrooms.
Hadrian definitely has a way with manipulating the clay, turning it into fascinating bowls, trays, teapots and vases. Of my favorite pieces are his round vases with square twisted necks such as the one below.
Twisted Bottle
Hadrian graduated from the Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA. In 1994, at the age of 22, Hadrian took an elective course in college, and since then has had a passion for making pottery. Originally from the Philippines, he went back in 1997 to rediscover his roots and learn about the craft along with the different techniques of pottery making in his homeland. He came back to Virginia in late 2009 and since then has been working in his studio at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA.
Hadrian is inspired by the environment that surrounds him, whether it be near or far. You will also find a lot of southeast Asian influence in his works, and in the simplicity of his forms, such as this stunning teapot set below:
Fish Tea Set handmade by Hadrian
Hadrian starts by kneading the clay to warm it up and to get rid of the air bubbles. He then bisque fires the piece, a process which is important to potters if they want to use more decorative stains and glazes without risking damage or cracking of the pottery. Below is a picture of Hadrian shaping the clay to make a tray:
Hadrian sculpting a tray at Lorton Workhouse Arts Center
He then adds his glaze and fires the piece again in temperatures as high as 1300 C (2372 F). He will sometimes add a little salt to create more movement in the glaze. After the kiln has cooled, he opens it and the process starts all over again. The end result, is a magnificent piece of artwork such as this beautifully glazed bowl:
Hadrian is currently on the hunt for wood firing kilns in Virginia. “As a potter”, he says, “the most important thing for me is the clay and the kiln. Without clay, [you] can’t make anything. Without a good kiln, the pieces can’t be finished the proper way.” He is constantly on a journey, learning new things about the pottery-making scene locally and nationally, always appreciative of new challenges.
Hadrian’s beautiful pottery is on display at our Fairfax and Alexandria showrooms. You can also see more of his artwork at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center or click here to be directed to his website.
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