This isn't actually a reconstruction job, but maybe it's close enough. Bev and I built an Arts & Crafts style home in Albuquerque, NM. It was quite a struggle getting this built, since the local builders were only accustomed to the "adobe box" style which dominates homes in that area. We did a lot of the finishing details ourselves, because there was no way we could have communicated what we wanted to the local craftsmen.

These are pictures of two fireplaces we finished out in the Arts & Crafts style. I did the woodworking while Bev did the tile work and most of the design. The first fireplace is shown below:



The wood is all white oak, with the exception of the mantle supports, which are walnut. The oak is finished with a red mahogany stain to match the existing woodwork. Unfortunately, this did not leave us with much of a contrast between the oak and the walnut supports. The area surrounding the fireplace itself was originally faux painted, but Bev put in the tile once she saw how nice the second fireplace looked.

The second fireplace is shown below. This was a much larger project, since it included the bookcases on either side and the protruding hearth. We also covered up some ductwork where we had run some additional ventilation into the crawl space. Building free standing furniture is much easier than built ins; when you are fitting casework into an existing house as a built in, you quickly realize that there is no such thing as a level surface or a right angle in a real house.



Bev did a particularly nice job on the tile. I will let her do the commentary on that.

nice work! i find the second one particularly appealing.

Beautiful job!! Looks like a very nice house. Enjoy it!

Thanks guys.

But we don't live there anymore. We designed and built the house anticipating that we would take 10 years to do all of the A & C details. Well, my husband ended up taking a job out of state after five years. He succeeded in finishing the woodworking the night before he left for the new job.

The second fireplace took over a year to figure out how to do built-ins and make them level. Then, he had to put the finishing touches on it in about two weeks--that was tough.

My job was to make life a little chalenging for my husband by insisting that every board in both fireplaces be level both horizontally and vertical. As an artist, I can tell when something is not level by just looking at it--drives me nuts. I almost drove Paul nuts.

Someone told us to use playing cards to get that last bit level and it worked like a charm. After he finished the fireplaces and left for the new job, it took me six months to finish the tile in the house. By that time, school was ending for the kids. The house went on the market and sold in two weeks.

I had never handled a wet saw before and I felt lucky that everything worked out. First, I experimented with the coat closet to figure out how to do this stuff. That way, if I messed it up--who would care? It was a closet.

The tile surrounding the second fireplace in the library was designed to mimic the fireplace set we bought in Boston at a Crate and Barrel.

I used a variation of that square motif for the kitchen backsplash. I took my inspiration from the designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a Scottish A & C artist. I made the design way too complicated. The kitchen barely got finshed in time for these pictures to be taken. Paul is going to post some pictures of the kitchen backsplash.

The first fireplace was in the family room/kitchen. I threw it together with left over unpolished marble and scraps of granite. The mantle was the first built-in that Paul had ever done and I was really pleased with how it turned out.

Bev.

After the fireplace was done, Bev did a tile backsplash in the kitchen. There wasn't a whole piece of tile used anywhere; everything was cut and pieced together. I was amazed at the job she did.



This is a panorama shot. I may have some detailed shots as well; I will post those if I can find them.

WOW...guys!!! looks great!! too bad you don't live there anymore!....can you tell me who the manufacturer of the cieling fan in the first picture is??...thanks

Joe

At the time we bought the ceiling fan, it was the only Arts & Crafts ceiling fan that Casablanca made.

The local stores wanted around $1500 with the builder's discount. I found it online for around $600. They had matching floor and table lamps.

The ceiling fan was a dream to put up--very easy and we never had any problems with it. The whole thing went up level, never wobbled and it took hardly any time to put it up. We always felt that it was worth every penny.

Now, it you like that, you should see the lighting fixtures that I found for the dining room. That had a hint of FLW and blended well with the Mackintosh. I got the put up and the house sold less than two weeks later. I still miss them. Paul could put up some pictures of the dining room. It was sized to fit the new Stickley reprodution trestle dining table with a cut out for the buffet. We never put that item into the budget. Ah, the movers would have destroyed it anyway.

Bev.