Thursday, April 19, 2012

Building for today’s economy

 Because by building smaller you can make it that much better.

view more at www.dona-arch.com


With the tight economy, a second home is a luxury that many of us now find difficult to justify.  But with our crazy busy lifestyles, the lure of owning your own private get-away is still a siren song that speaks to our soul. So how does one build the perfect, cozy place to relax when the chance arises? Our approach is to build small and sweat every detail.  Our client named the project early on, this is the “house of inches” so named because it’s diminutive size requires that every inch count.  Nearly every room has to be useful for more than one purpose.  The fireside nook doubles as overflow sleeping quarters when more guests arrive.  But when the guests leave, it is the perfect place to sit by the fire and read a book or have a long talk with a friend over a cup of coffee or a special glass of wine.











The home has wide comfortable decks on both floors to add versatility to the floor plan.  Plus on a clear day, the Mount Baker views are spectacular.  If it rains or the day gets a bit chilly, the main floor deck has radiant heaters to keep everyone warm. 











Since this is such a small home, no furnace is needed, the heat is provided with a gas fireplace.  There is even a gas fueled wood stove in the master bedroom to help on winter nights.  Whether entertaining a crowd or as a quiet respite for one, this little cottage does it all. 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Spiral Staircase Continued

view more at www.dona-arch.com




If you have been following my blog, you have already seen the huge spruce log that makes up the center of the spiral staircase in our project in Juneau Alaska.  I am posting an update because the progress is so exciting that I really want to share it with everyone.  As can been seen from the photos, the wood treads have now been added but the railings have yet to be fabricated and installed.  Each wood tread is attached into the spruce log and gracefully cantilevers out like a series of tree branches.  The end result is pretty breath taking especially when seen from above.