High Rock Studio

07/26/2025

This is the embodiment of what is completely wrong in our modern building landscape. "Farmhouse" is not an architectural style. The McMansion has desimated the ideals of building tradition. This plan has so many "bumps and bruises" that it is visually overwhelming. Projections and roof lines that are intended to add interest just translate to a collage of standard elements with no cohesive design story or beauty. It appears that "modern farmhouse" pertains to anything that has some white and black anywhere visible.

We have lost our way. Order and craft has been eclipsed by manufactured products copy and pasted across the landscape. The trades have become installers of pre built components comprised of man made products with no proven record. Design is based on what can be easily assembled in a production line building process.

Look to the past to build the future. Tell a cohesive story. Instead of focusing on floorplan and square footage. Focus on how everything relates to the whole and sacrifice sqft for refined finishes. Marketing wants you to believe "maintenance free" means ease and longevity. The reality is it simply means it cannot be maintained and must be completely replaced. The consumer has been eating crow for too long. Good design doesn't necessarily cost more. The knowledge and language of design is woven throughout our history. Learning this is a baby step back in the right direction.

Explore this Gorgeous Modern Farmhouse with Gym, Office, Media Room and Finished Bonus Room.

03/21/2025

Hiding in plain sight.

The non apparent details add up in the whole scope. Providing an unmistakable feeling in the space. There is a comfort in the refinement that is easing. The timbers were undercut so the new hickory hardwood slips underneath to conceal any gaps with seasonal expansion and contraction. Cold chiseling the mortar under the raised hearth provides a super clean transition with the fire wall.

Credit to my father who built this amazingly detailed post and beam home 30 years ago who spaced the brick up off the subfloor so hardwood could replace the carpeting and appear to be original. Thank you to JB's Landscaping and Firewood for "laying down" on the job and getting your chisel on. It has been an honor to work on this amazing home over the years for such amazing clients.

03/12/2025

Wall to Wall. Anything but easy

A proper set of fireplace side built ins. The proportion and door size has a simple elegance that is purposeful in its utility. If it is going to be custom, it is going to be inset doors and continuous face frames. Save the filler strips for the big box store overlay cabinets. The complexity of getting these clean simple lines is a bit overwhelming if all the variables accounted for in the design build were apparent to the layman's eye.

02/21/2025

Bingo Bango

A couple larger built ins ready for finish prep. I tend to plane, rasp and file instead of sand, sand, sand. Obviously sanding is a necessary evil, but I prefer the crispness of edge tools vs the muddied details of heavy sanding. Hopefully a nice light sand and ready for primer. It always is more work than in my head. Bingo Bango in my minds eye= not so much in 3d.

02/12/2025

Making Doors

I have been working through building a new bench that serves as a series of swappable stations that are preset for different operations. Today I tried out a prototype for building doors. I think I can stream line my systems and greatly reduce set up times.
Make a plan
Make the tools
Make the work

02/10/2025

Making Shavings.

Working on face frame components for some fireside built ins. It always requires less space to bring the tool to the work, rather than, the work to the tool. I actually use hand planes a lot in my day to day making. By the time I set up a jointer I can plane these components and assemble. A few swipes clean up the saw marks and a couple passes break the Arris of the edges so it feels right and keeps it from splintering out. I can tell by the feel and the sound how straight and square it is. If I had hundreds of lineal feet to do I would figure out my jointer machine set up, but on the smaller builds I focus on this is the system that works for me. Next is 10 inset doors to fab. The old ways work and work well. Build up your skills not your tool box.

01/22/2025

"Piano Memories" 2024

This small powder room vanity and new bar back mirror allows a special client's childhood memories to remain lived with, taking a new form. The scope of this renovation included all new solid hardwood hickory floors in the living area with new tile floors in the entry and powder room. The powder room was to be refreshed with a new toilet and custom vanity.

It came to light that the family piano was to be removed and the decision was made to dismantle it. Talking with the client she was on board with the plan and was looking forward to re arranging the new space. Through conversation we could tell the piano was steeped in sentimental value and a plan was implemented to salvage the wood and see what could be done with it. These pieces are called "Piano Memories" and judging by the reactions from clients and friends it will be a welcome addition to the home. It is always an honor when clients trust the process and are willing to let the space and things in it enhance the design. This one was a little extra special and a big thank you for letting me run with it and let the crazy ideas in my head out to play. At the end the surprise reveal was worth the effort. The juice was more than worth the squeeze!

12/17/2024

11/22/2024

Time. A limited commodity

A triptych of photos over the years. Many possess a desire for more:
More wealth
More material goods
More accolades
More more more
Time is a fleeting muse that only offers less. To possess control of your given time, is wealth, it is more, it is everything. Become a disciple of experience. Spend your commodity share, on your terms and an internal gain is realized in the simplest of moments.

11/17/2024

Winter wonderland problem solving

An old timer once said "There are 2 seasons, winter and getting ready for winter." Weather can reveal site specific challenges that are not readily apparent. Seasons change and with that variables change. My family's patriarchal homestead "the mountain" is a beautiful and serene landscape, with a gambrel barn, that sits atop an open ridge overlooking the upper Hudson river valley.

Painting inspired vistas cannot convey one hidden variable.
The Wind.
Placing the entry doors on the leeward side protects the envelope from the straightline western winds. The structure itself blocks the brunt force of the winds. All this works well until you introduce one winter variable,
Snow.

The snow perfectly swirls and dances, converging in large wind driven drifts across the entire open porch. The structure morphs into a snow drift deposit funnel. Using the normally protected doors now requires almost constant shoveling. The remedy was to design and fabricate removable panels to enclose the troubled side porch.

The panels are simply constructed of dimensional framing lumber fastened with pocket hole screws. Skinned in lightweight vinyl beaded soffit with a little variance to break up the monotony. 4 panels are hinged to provide light and access on calm winter days. Now the porch provides additional enclosed storage for easy access firewood and other seasonable items. The panels are easily removed in the spring and do not take up much room leaned against the wall of a detached garage.
Problem solved. Winter wonderland restored.
Let it snow.

11/13/2024

Plan the work.
Work the plan.

Check ✅
Check ✅
Check ✅
Check ✅ (fingers crossed 🤞)

11/09/2024

Reeded Vanity

Fantabulous bath vanity with reeded drawer fronts. The tones and shadow lines constantly change based on perspective. The photos can't really capture the reality of this piece. The reading was accomplished with a simple screen bead profile. There are 3 beads to a width and each width was wiped with a hand plane to eliminate any gaps. The prepared pieces were laminated to a maple plywood sub panel and back banded to create the finished drawer fronts. Yes, I was haunted by beads for a bit.

Bead it, just Bead it.
No one wants to be defeated.