March 23rd, 2008 by Peter Schmelzer

Happy Easter!
As I transfered the recent photos from my camera, this image struck me as appropriate for the season. Of course, the cross-like image of the center stile and rail relates to Easter; the door itself has also gone through rebirth.
This door was salvaged from the Master Bedroom of our house before demolition. It had been cut to fit the opening and was quite crooked. Its frame could not be salvaged.
Mary and I were searching for a light fixture that would unify the space without too firmly defining where the table had to go in the room. Upon finding these paper globes, the plan emerged to transform the door into a chandelier.

The door looks and feels great in the space; it floats lightly overhead despite its apparent visual mass. Over the weekend, we extended the table to seat fifteen people and it responded well to the challenge. On a dimmer switch, the door-chandelier can be bright enough to work under or subtle enough for gentle conversation over a glass of wine.
Safe travels to our Easter guests and to yours.
Posted in All Entries, Portfolio + Projects
March 6th, 2008 by Peter Schmelzer

And so is our clawfoot tub. More on that later…
With the help of family and friends, we made a major step toward moving into the house on Saturday. Special thanks to Jeanne, Carol, Bill, Mary Ellen, Sam, John and Jeanne for their help first in cleaning the new house, then in moving most of our stuff. Mary and I slept in the sun porch on Friday night on an air mattress, then in our new Master Bedroom on Saturday.
It was wonderful.
A door on a room has rarely meant more!
Back to the tub, which was actually installed on Wednesday. I like this picture because it makes the room look huge. Actually, the room feels large but is tight; I couldn’t have taken 4″ out of either dimension without dramatically impacting the sense of space. As you will notice is the photos that follow, my camera lens can’t capture the space without backing through a window!

Here is another shot, showing the toilet modestly tucked away behind the shower.


The master bath was the last to be painted due to the tile installation. The tile delayed the plumber, who delayed the painter, who delayed the electrician. So, we’re almost done with the bathroom. With luck, we may see the shower door and the electrician tomorrow. The vanity top will have to wait another week, since it couldn’t be fabricated until the cabinet was set, which had to be coordinated with the tile.
Thanks (and apologies) to the workers who have worked around our stuff this week. It is really great being home again, even with a few interior details remaining.
Posted in All Entries, Portfolio + Projects