The Mushroom Factor

The July issue of Wood Magazine has an interesting article that holds credence to the level of craftsmanship we find in many things today, whether it’s our houses or the furniture we put in them. The article, written by Bob Wilson and Megan Stotmeister, is entitled “Crafting Keepsake Furniture in a Throwaway World.”

The gist of the article is an answer to the question “Is it worth it to spend hours in the workshop handcrafting your own furniture when you can find instant gratification with trendy, relatively low-cost furniture from a store?”

One of my children answers this question from the same viewpoint that many Wood Magazine readers did. She says handcrafted furniture has spoiled her. She looks at furniture her friends have purchased from reputable, expensive companies and finds it no where near the quality of pieces made by her brothers, father and grandfather.

Once again, my child is right (such is the case with parenthood).

In today’s throwaway world, as the article says, furniture is massed produced with staples, fiberboard and melamine. Even the so-called “finer” furniture from expensive stores is often constructed with lesser-quality woods and poor joinery. “Disposable furniture” is a term the article uses to describe this furniture and the reality that within five to seven years it will need to be replaced.

Compare that to a piece made by a hobbiest or professional artisan who spends days, weeks, even months choosing the right wood, carefully cutting and joining parts, and finishing with multiple layers of a durable coating. This piece shows pride in workmanship. It’s a labor of love. And not only has the artisan created something that will last during his or her lifetime, it will also become a treasured heirloom to those following.

Several years ago my husband decided he’d heard enough of my whining. He decided that, perhaps, if he helped me work from home rather than the office I continuously whined about, I’d shut my mouth and give him some peace.

And so, he built me a home office.

There are many factors to a successful office, all of which can determine the productivity of staying home to work. Typical to my husband, he covered these factors well. The office he built is beautiful, functional and offers an inviting work environment to come to every day.

Definition of Home Office

The IRS defines a home office as “a room used exclusively and regularly as the principal place of business.” I’m certainly no accountant and won’t get into the minutia of what exactly this means, but if you work from a home and keep meticulously accurate records, a home office can mean substantial deductions on your annual income taxes.

The room we chose for our office is an 11′x12′ space on our first floor. We previously used it as a TV room, which, of course, we now no longer do. As a graphic designer and writer, I don’t need a lot of square footage and I don’t entertain an endless stream of inhouse clients. On the rare occasion I do receive someone, I appreciate that the room is located near an outside entrance. This access is important. I don’t have to traipse clients through the whole house, which inevitably is a mess and belies my otherwise meticulous nature (said with great satire).

Decor

The great thing about a home office is the ownership it offers and the chance to decorate as one wishes. Mine has become an extension of myself. Design and art books are an obsession so my husband made an oak built-in system with shelves, cupboards and filing drawers. They’re an arms-reach from my desk and keep information organized and available.

Office-grey walls? Not here! I spend eight to ten hours a day in this room and it’s important I like its look and feel. An office needs to promote creativity and a positive attitude, yet it also needs to be cozy. I went with bold oranges and greens, colors I like and perhaps didn’t have the moxie to use elsewhere in my house.

Lighting

Along with color comes lighting. Whether you’re a secluded cave dweller who loves the intimacy of darkness, or a sunny window person who needs access to the outdoors, adequate lighting is a must in the home office. There are two double hung windows on each of the two exterior walls in my office. They offer plenty of natural light during the day and wonderful views of the rural setting in which we live.

This, however, leads to my next point: accessiblity vs. distraction.

Location

I love my windows. It’s important to know I’m not completely removed from the outside world and the inspiration it offers. Yet, depending on what’s outside, a room with a view certainly can be diversion. I made nice window shades that, when necessary, block the glaring sun or distracting view.

There are pros and cons to location as well. That easy-to-access office I described above is also smack in the middle of every day family life. For me, it’s not a problem. My kids are grown and have, theoretically, moved out of the house. On the occasions they do return, however, I find it’s far too easy to interest myself with them in the other room or for them to hang out in my office. My office likely wouldn’t work if I had younger children still at home.

Furnishings

And now to my final factor of a home office: its furniture. Again, consider the amount of time spent in an office: a good desk and chair are essential. My desk is huge. My husband built it according to my specifications and work habits. It’s L-shaped and holds my computers, scanner-printer-fax machine, telephone, adding machine, Rolodex, file folders and so much more. It’s amazing how many necessary office supplies one accumulates! He also made the desk with slide-out work panels, which I use whenever my desk becomes too messy and I need more space. Yes, I always am using those panels!

My chair? It’s nice as well. A good philosophy is to buy the highest quality chair one can afford. As we all know, those chairs start to feel pretty hard and uncomfortable after a while. A good chair not only provides comfort and support but it also looks professional when the client comes visiting.

So, have I stopped whining? Well, I never really was a whiner. I just wanted a cool office and the chance to work in my pajamas.

Probably the most repeated question we’re asked about redoing our kitchen is whether we’re getting stainless steel appliances. When I say no, I inevitably first get looks of surprise and then something on the order of “how strange are you?”

What is it with stainless steel?!

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against the glowing surface…except for the fact that everyone’s kitchen is done in it. For that reason, and because it doesn’t fit my kitchen’s style, I am NOT buying stainless steel appliances.

So, aside from stainless steel, what are the kitchen trends of today? And how far off, whether by intention or ignorance, are we as we renovate our kitchen?

The Top Five Kitchen Trends, according to This Old House online

1. Earth Friendly
“Green is in all over the house-perhaps most of all in the kitchen,” writes Kristin Mucci, of This Old House online.

I painted my walls green. Does that count?

Actually, we’re doing some fairly green things in our renovation project. One example is recycling the wood we saved from our porch ceiling when we rebuilt it 15 years ago. It’s fir pine and after stripping the white paint and finishing it in a clear varnish, it looks stunning in the sunporch section of our kitchen.

2. High Tech
“The kitchen of the future is here now, chock full of techie elements that meld functionality with fun.”

Okay, here’s where we fall a bit short. While some people are putting high definition television into their refrigerator doors and hood ventilations, we’re the last household on the face of the earth that doesn’t subscribe to viewing beyond the three majors, ABC, CBS, and NBC (or so our children tell us).

3. Colorful
“Stainless steel might never go out of style, but it’s sure losing some steam against this year’s bright appliance hues.”

Ah, what we lack in technology (and stainless steel), we make up for in color. Our white refrigerator was great in function but with the front of it rusting away, it lacked in form. We took it to an auto body paint shop and had it painted red. We love it!

4. Fresh and Healthy
“Companies are catering to nutrition-conscious consumers with products that help keep cooking healthy.”

No, we haven’t put in a copper sink with natural antibacterial qualities, as offered by Native Trails. But a new kitchen really brings out an enthusiasm for cooking and with that comes an interest in healthy, good quality food. Hey, the fact that we can now find our spices greatly enhances the success of our meal!

5. Convenient and Multifunctional
“This year’s products pack it in for multitasking, time-challenged consumers.”

I can’t begin to tell you how moving from cramped cooking quarters to an efficient triangular work zone makes life so much easier!

So there you have it. Our kitchen certainly isn’t keeping up with the latest trends, nor do we want it to. But it’s ours and it fits us perfectly. Can’t do better than that!

As I’ve mentioned, we’re in the midst of a big kitchen project.

We’ve been at this project for more than a year and may easily be for yet another. People are often horrified to hear this, but really, it’s not been that bad. It’s tolerable for two reasons. First and foremost, it’s not like we’ve been put out of a kitchen for a year. For the past twenty years, we’ve used our pantry as the kitchen and continue to do so during this project. Secondly, we’re pretty easy-going people. This is pretty important! Patience is a virtue, my dears, one will worth cultivating during home renovations.

An old house kitchen in its original state, such as ours is a rare find. To a kitchen designer, it’s a blank palette waiting for the first splash of renovation. To the layperson, it’s a bit of a challenge!

Neither of us are professional designers. While we did consult one initially, for the most part, we’re winging it on our own. We’re hoping our artistic and technical abilities are enough to carry us though—here’s where input is welcomed!

Our kitchen before

Our ideas: They’ve been evolving…

Our ideas have been contingent on two things: original design and budget. We want to maintain the simplistic, Craftsman style to which the house was originally built and, for budgetary reasons, we need to do the whole project ourselves with a minimum of purchases.

But, hey, we’ve been planning this project for twenty years! We want it to be good! I guess that makes three contingencies: design, budget and quality. Is this a feasible combination? We shall see.

Our kitchen: Our plans for after

1. Bring the cooking and storage into the kitchen where it belongs. Convert the pantry into a laundry/pantry room.
2. Combine the walk-in closet and sunporch into a breakfast nook—still to be called the sunporch because it’s such a cheerful, sunny room.
3. Keep the existing windows (they’re only ten years old and of original size). The counter underneath will have to be 1-2 inches less than standard height, but that’s okay because we’re short people.
4. Build a china cupboard on the kitchen side, a similar cupboard on the dining room side, and a pass-though opening in the wall between.

So this has been our project. I’ve been documenting it in greater detail at this site. But be warned, like our kitchen project, it’s usually running a bit behind.

We’re pretty easy-going people, don’t forget!

Fan of Prairie School architecture? Planning to visit the Purcell-Cutts House and other architectural gems in Minneapolis, MN? Yes or no, you’ve got to check out “Unified Vision: The Architecture and Design of the Prairie School.”

Published by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, this web site showcases the work of architects Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, William Gray Purcell and George Grant Elmslie. It also features the Institutes’ collection of Prairie School furniture and home décor.

If you’re planning to tour the Purcell-Cutts House—a classic example of Prairie Style and designed by William Gray Purcell and George Grant Elmslie in 1913—this web site is great preparatory research. The site’s linear tour offers 360 degree views of each room, together with detailed commentaries. The photos are stunning.

The site also takes you on a personal “walking tour” of notable Prairie School buildings in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Complete with audio narration and printable tour guides, it’s the next best thing to actually walking through the city streets (and considerably warmer at this time of year!)

Check it out—it’s a cool site!