Tag Archives: Hardwood Artisans

Lemonade Social Guest – Friends of Homeless Animals

Posted on by
1

You may notice a tent set up in the parking lot of our Woodbridge shop during the Lemonade Social this July 16th. Hardwood Artisans will be host to a charity called Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) at our Lemonade Social on July 16th. FOHA is a non-profit no-kill animal shelter located in Northern Virginia. They have been providing rehabilitation, rescue, medical care, and adoption services since 1972.  FOHA rescues dogs and cats from abusive situations, death row at animal shelters, or from owners who can no longer provide care for their pets. They will have a tent set up in the parking lot of our Woodbridge shop during the Lemonade Social, so you will be able to ask FOHA volunteers questions about their cause.

FOHA’s rescue vehicle is on its last legs and they’re trying to raise money for a new one. They use this vehicle to transport dogs and cats from kill shelters. It’s also the main way they gather food and supplies. This is where we (and you!) come in hand! Hardwood Artisans is hoping to help raise money during our Lemonade Social so FOHA can replace their current transport van. We are going to have a silent auction from 10am to 3pm with two items – a Hillgren Jewelry box and a square Plant Stand.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about volunteering, donations, and possibly about adopting one of the cute animals they have rescued.

Our Marketing Director, Julianne Yurek has been personally involved with FOHA, from participating as a volunteer at some of their events to adopting two dogs from them. We’re really excited to be able to help out and can’t wait to see how much money we raise for their cause!

For more information on FOHA or to look at the rest of the adorable animals they have up for adoption, visit their website at www.foha.org. If you want more details on the Lemonade Social, visit our website http://hardwoodartisans.com/lemonade.asp

The Big Dollhouse

Posted on by
3

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 Event in Alexandria – Color + Cabinetry

Posted on by
Reply

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

www.hardwoodartisans.com

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?

Designer Denise Willard will Talk at Our June 4th Event

Posted on by
Reply

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

Web:    www.DecorbyDenise.com

Blog:     www.DreamDesignLive.com

Email:   info@decorbydenise.com

Phone: 703-714-7343

A Special Thank You to Benjamin Moore for Sponsoring the Event


March “Tour” Madness!

Posted on by
Reply

We had an incredibly exciting March 31st at our Woodbridge shop. At 10:00 am, two buses arrived in our parking lot, stuffed to the brim with first graders. At first sight, the buses were quite intimidating and I almost began looking for a table to hide under. I (luckily) regained my composure and greeted the newcomers, all 80 of them.  This crowd came about after we received a call about a month ago from Dale City Elementary School. They were interested in getting a tour of our Woodshop for all 80 of their first graders. My first reaction, echoed by many others, was ‘eighty?!’. However, once everyone got over their initial shock, we were all buzzing with excitement and ideas. We’ve given large tours before, but as far as I know, never to 80 first graders, so it was just as much of a new experience for us as it was for the kids.

I was speechless when I saw the two buses pull into the lot, but somehow managed to introduce myself and get them all into the showroom. In my flustered state, I was unable to take a picture of all of the children filing off of the bus, but I did snap a few of the hectic day! Check them out below and let us know what you think.

Here’s Kevin Carlson explaining the tour system to the first graders and their chaperones. Let me tell you, that showroom gets hot with that many tiny bodies packed in there!

They made themselves comfortable on the Showroom floor as the first tour was dispatched. We figured that a group of ten children would be manageable for one craftsman and two chaperones. I’ve never seen children that excited to put on a pair of safety glasses!

Emily Rupert and I tried to keep the children occupied by showing them some of the pieces in our showroom and answering questions.

I asked them what they thought our Library Wall Bed was and I received the answer ‘it’s a shelf, DUH.’ It was only when I pulled the bed down did the ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s start. The reaction to our Glasgow TV Lift was one of pure earsplitting joy, which is something the first graders and I have in common.

A few of the questions that Emily and I faced:

“Where do you get your wood?”

“Why do you make everything out of wood?”

“Are your lamps made out of wood?”

“How much does that cost?”

“How much does the entire company cost?”

“How did you become a craftsman?” (I’m proud to say that several of the children want to become craftsman when they grow up!)

“Can I buy that for a dollar?”

“How much does the world cost?”

“Is the world made of wood?”

It’s safe to say that these kids were very curious and did pose some very good questions!

Here is Jermaine with his first tour group!

Jermaine handed out ear plugs, just in case the noises of the shop became too loud. Most of the kids wanted to save the ear plugs for later. I hope they didn’t put them in when they got back to the classroom!

Here is Jermaine’s group touching the dried out lumber that we keep stacked in the front of the shop. They all wanted to know how it went from rough to smooth and finished like the furniture in our showroom.

Mike Chubb had an incredible height difference between him and the children. I think the kids might’ve had kinks in their necks after this tour, but Mike was great with kids and answered all of their questions, so I don’t think they minded much!

Greg Smith showed his group how the CNC machine works (Computer Numeric Control machine… which means that it’s like a giant printer). This is one of the largest machines in the shop.

Kevin Parker with the Bacci Machine and his amazed group!

Beth moved too fast for me to get a clear photo of her! She led her group around the shop like a well executed and well informed conga line… I was tempted to join in.

This was Emily’s last effort to entertain the kiddos – she let them climb the Loft Bed ladder one by one, until all 80 had a turn. You want to test the durability of your furniture? Let 80 first graders have at it!

Here's the final turn out in front of our Woodbridge Shop! Not everyone is looking at the camera, but I consider it a great success. (Let’s forget the fact that I had to practically stand in the street to take this photo!)

We sent the kids, teachers, and chaperones back to school with gift bags and a personalized sign with all of the craftsman’s signatures on it.

We all had too much fun giving these tours! We thoroughly enjoyed Dale City Elementary School’s visit and hope that we get to see them in the future (maybe as craftsmen themselves!) Always keep in mind that we offer free tours, even to large groups such as this. We benefit from it just as much, if not more, than you will. If you’re interested in receiving a tour, email me at lorelei@hardwoodartisans.com or come into our Woodbridge Shop and we will have one of our talented craftsmen show you around!