At heart, I am a craftsman. Since 1987, I have restored old houses, made windows and doors, and matched historic millwork. I have also designed and built kitchens, bathrooms, and additions, always searching for good designs and artful solutions to remodeling’s inevitable problems.
Influenced early on by Christopher Alexander’s seminal book, A Pattern Language, I want to create spaces that inspire and grow out of the users experience. Achieving a balance between a new design and an existing structure is a challenge that I find endlessly satisfying.
I like wood, stone, natural light and the shadows created by nice millwork. I love the eclectic mix of new and old. And as a builder, I also love built-in furniture, seamless transitions, and the careful execution of details. When people look at my work, I want two things to be obvious: that I thought about the details, and that I cared deeply about the result.
I also love our planet, so I include upgrades in energy-efficiency as often as possible. Sometimes this includes replacement windows, but more often it involves sealing air leaks and adding insulation. This work is not glamorous and often it isn’t visible, but it goes a long way toward making a home more comfortable and less expensive to operate.
Maybe you know exactly what your project will look like, or maybe you need an architect or an interior designer to help. But on simpler projects, it may make sense for me to handle the design work. Regardless, I will ask lots of questions to map your project from beginning to end and make it a reality. In the words of my friend Chuck Miller, a longtime Fine Homebuilding editor, “Knowing how to build becomes important only after you know what to build.”
No matter the size, your project will require planning. Some projects need more than others. The important thing is that someone considers the details from beginning to end, both in the design and ultimately, in building the structure. My promise to you is that I’ll work on your behalf to build efficiently, to use materials wisely, and to expertly craft your project.
Besides carpentry, I also love jazz. I have a B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University in Applied Trombone. And I’ve been known to check out the acoustics in a house with my horn when no one’s around to complain.
In 2001, I took a break from hands-on building and joined the editorial staff of Fine Homebuilding. I spent the next four years visiting the best builders and architects around the country, helping them turn their knowledge into magazine articles. The whole experience amounted to a graduate degree in design and construction.
