What's New???

I have decided to take my business in the direction of maintenance and repair. I am focusing on doing small and sometimes not so small carpentry job. Minor electrical, plumbing repair, drywall and tile repair. My rate is $30 per hour.

I am willing to tackle any honey do list you might have as well as landlord punch lists.

This will allow me time to work with my wife (CJ VanDaff Interior Design & Antiques). I will be using and carpentry skills and general contracting to help promote and augment her business. In addition, we will be trying to promote and expand our antique business. So from now on I will be helping her write her blog and I won't be making any further posts on this blog. So I invite you to follow me and my writings by reading her blog.

Bad News

Many of us a tired at this point of all the bad news on TV and radio about the economy. Since construction has been very hard hit I don't need to tell you that It has been a struggle for most of us in construction to stay busy this winter. I have enjoyed doing a variety of small carpentry jobs and some general contracting- helping people coordinate small kitchen or bath renovations. But, I often haven't had enough work this winter and I have had to look for other ways to stay busy.

My wife, CJ is a designer and we have been starting to do some projects together. I have now taken up spray painting in my shop. So I am involved in painting furniture for my wife as well as other clients. We have also expanded our antique business together and lately have moved into Bluedoor antique mall with our focus there being Mid-Century Modern. A whole new and interesting area of collecting that I grew up with in the 50's and 60's. In addition, I find myself expanding my selling on ebay. So I am beginning to see this new economy of ours as a new way to be creative. I am starting to see my life as a great adventure. I hope over the next few months to be exploring new directions and plan on sharing them with you on my blog so I hope you keep reading.

Oh, two more things: check out my wife's blog at vandaff.blogspot.com and second stop watching the news, it is too depressing.

Winter

We have had alot of snow so far this winter. That plus all the bad economic news has meant little work for many of us in construction. I am grateful for all the various jobs that have come my way in spite of the economy. However, I have been forced to be creative with my time and were I spend my energy making a living. Much of my time has been spent in the shop (Which is the place I really love to be) doing small projects for clients and expanding my furniture repair and finishing business.
As many of you also know I have been buying and selling antiques for years and so with some of my time this winter I have been expanding my antique business. I have a paint spray booth in my shop so I have been doing alot of furniture painting. I have also been selling more on line (ebay-user name- evergreenarchitectural) and expanding into other antique malls. The most recent move was into an antique mall in Williamston, Michigan. My wife and have have just come back from the mall this past weekend and have given our booth a new look their. So my blog today has some pictures of my new venture.

Taliesin- East

This past week I made a visit to family in Minnesota. On the way there I stopped to see Frank L. Wrights compound in Spring Green, Wisconsin. After visiting Taliesin West this was a very different experience. Attached are a few pictures took when I was there.

A lot of work needs to be done at this compound. I believe that of all the Wright buildings I have seen the one located in my home town of Grand Rapids seems to be the best and most complete restoration I have seen todate.

Details

I just recently completed a job doing a small renovation of a kitchen eating area and half bath. The colors and project details were designed by CJ Vandaff. Part of the project involved building a small bath cabinet with sliding glass doors and a coat/key rack that was also a peg board. Attached are the drawing I worked off as well as the finished project. Both pieces were built and than sprayed with paint in my shop.

Heritage Hill House- Doors

I have been working at a house in Heritage Hill that is located on Madison Street. Madison is a street on the south end of the hill district that has many fine homes that are very grand in scale. The house I am working on was built around 1910. I have been working there now for over a month on many projects. One of the projects I have worked on is install a small set of double or french style doors in a hallway. I needed a custom size but wanted something to look vintage. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any old doors in the house that would work so I challenge was to build and install a set of doors that looked original but to do it with in a budget. I managed to design two paint grade doors out of two fifteen dollar sheets of plywood and had a great deal of fun building them. So attached are a couple of pictures taken before the trim when on and before paint. I will include some finished pictures later.

SPRING!!!!

I think spring is finally here. It seemed along time coming this year. With all the snow we had the world we are living in seem frozen in pristine white. I however have been seeing robin's for weeks now. My firewood pile in the shop as been all but gone for awhile.

It always amazes me with the snow gone how many project become apparent around the house. The upbeat side of the warmer weather that we are now getting is that we are now into the time of year were it is so very pleasant to work outside and get projects done.

So the long and short of this is that if you have put off any large and small construction projects this winter now is a good time to give me a call. The phone always tends to get busy this time so don't put off calling for for too long. I look forward to hearing from you