"Real" stone vs Cultured" stone

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Cultured stone has come a long way since it's introduction.  It is molded from actual stones and the colors are pretty hard to distinguish from the real thing.  So why would you use one over the other?  While cultured stone is often less expensive since it is made of concrete instead of real rock, if the project has a lot of corners, the prices difference is minimal.  This is because the "corner" stones are quite a lot more $$ than the standard stones. 

If the project has a large field of stones with few corners, then cultured stone will often cost less.  It is also lighter and therefore can be applied to a wood substrate unlike full size real stone which often needs to be installed over a masonry core. 

Cultured stone can be applied by a tile setter or a mason while real stone requires an experienced mason for application. 

Just to muddy the waters a bit more we now have "Thin Stone" which is a real stone cut into 3" thick pieces.  this is often similar in price to cultured stone with the same issues about corners and installation as it is installed in the same fashion as the cultured product.

We often specify real stones for two reasons:
1. If we need large sizes
2. The application is a high wear location.  This is because if a cultured stone is cracked or damaged, well  
    it then looks like a broken piece of concrete and the illusion is lost.

This project looks great doesn't it?  so is it cultured stone or real stone?   Our best clue is the uniform sizes.  because this is a cultured stone product!

It is pretty easy to see from the size variation that these are real stones.  This provides a looser less formal look as the stone sizes and colors have more variety. 

Either way you go, installation by a craftsman is critical to achieve the look you are after.  The real key here is to hire an installer who takes their "art" seriously!

Spiral Staircase on Huge Spruce Log

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The owner of our project in Juneau Alaska saved a huge spruce log to form the base of a spiral staircase in his new home.  This is one of those situations where experience really plays a role in making difficult things seem easy.  We designed a similar staircase YEARS ago for our client in Port Townsend Washington.  His staircase was a great focal point to his home.  So when our Alaska clients presented the idea, we were all ready on board. I remembered a magazine article about the details for fabricating and installing he treads and a quick trip to the library produced a copy of the article.  It was a bit embarrassing to realize that the article was written over 20 years ago!  (it seems like yesterday...)  This is one of the great things about our profession.  You just keep on learning, new concepts, but you also get to reuse valuable experiences too.

Here is the spruce log being stored, ready for use

The timber frame is then installed

The Owner Scott Jenkins Cuts off the top of the timber

The timber is ready for stair treads

We will be posting updates when we have photos of the finished stairs.

Whidbey Island Modern Architecture

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We've been working on a concept for a client on Whidbey Island. The client wanted a modern shed-style home with clean, simple lines. After a trip to Wendy's and a few napkin sketches later, I came up with this.

At the office, Scott and Tim took a look at the concept and began working out some of the details of the design. The client is an avid gardener, and as such, we wanted to provide her with plenty of garden space without blocking the view of Puget Sound. To account for this, we designed a switchback pathway that curves down the hill in front of the residence.

An idea of how the landscaping might work.

Conceptual sketches for supporting the roof.

And finally, here is the concept modeled in SketchUp.