Old Stone House Update
Peeling back the layers
The Old Stone House studio renovation is coming along. It has been a lot of work and we've put a lot of sweat equity into the project, which has been really gratifying. We have spent many dirty hours pulling out old insulation and wiring, hand scrubbing the old steel roof, and sorting through remnants from past occupiers of the building. Every property carries with it the stories and artifacts of the people who have imagined, dreamed, worked, and lived in it. We are excited that Slaughter Design Studio will be one more chapter in the history of this old building.
We've pulled out a dumpster full of electrical and telecom wiring and equipment from when the building was long home to a Spectrum office. The old smokehouse in the back was full of it too. When we pulled that all out it revealed the old hooks on the wall that hung meat back when it was a working smokehouse. It has air intake holes at the bottom and the top. We found a rock fire ring where they built the fires to smoke the meat. The contrast to all of the Spectrum equipment is amusing and poignant. Paint testing revealed there was indeed lead paint, so abatement crews came in and stripped 5 layers of history that had been painted onto the beadboard ceiling, doors, and window frames. Renovating an old building ain't easy or cheap but it is a rich process and we are glad to be doing it.
Much thought had to be given to the north wall where the old cottonwood tree was growing as we weren't certain of its structural integrity and worried that we'd have to take the whole wall down. So we dug down to inspect the foundation. We were pleased to find three stable layers of rock lug that were in really good shape. So, in the end, all we need to do is repoint the mortar work and the wall is good to go. Since we've got it all dug up we'll be able to waterproof the wall and install a french drain to channel water from there into the old cistern (8ft deep!) on the property that still holds water! Fun projects and historical gems around every corner.
Being our own clients
From an interior design perspective what has been most fun has been treating the Old Stone House as if it were one of our clients. It's on our client list, we review selections collectively, and give ourselves deadlines to work with. I must say, our team has made great contributions to the project. The old carriage doors on the old garage which will soon be our studio are a great example of how the back and forth between designers, builders, and owners (in this case us) works on a project. So, our builders followed our drawings "to a T" except for one spot where they diverged on the doors due to practicalities that arose during building. We didn't like the result so had to dig a bit deeper to find a solution to marry up what they did with what we wanted. Kaitlin had a brilliant idea that solved the problem so well that we liked the result better than our original idea. These are the gems and joys of working together collaboratively on a design project.
Speaking of the Studio, it is almost done. We have brought over our design library of samples and are making the space ready to use with clients. We have a couple of necessities still to be completed before we have everyone in there, so for now, we’re still working partially out of our home! We wanted to take the opportunity to share with you a bit of what this space will be like and how we use our studio, just to give you a glimpse of what it might be like to work with SDS, if you haven't already. We’re also grateful to give credit where it’s due to Laughlin Homes and Restoration for the hard work they are doing and excellent quality being produced in our space every day.
Designing together in the new studio space
The Studio is a 20'x20' space beautifully lit with skylights and will be full of colors, textures, and different materials that we are constantly refreshing and updating. We like to spend a lot of time in our studio with clients as we work our way through designing spaces that will really speak to and from your heart. Many designers just work up a whole plan for a house, every room, every design need, all in one batch and present it, sometimes only in a pdf emailed to you. What we prefer is bringing you in at each stage of the project to look over a set of options that we've pulled together from our knowledge of who you are and what you like.
We'll have meetings for concept drawings, tiling, floors, paint, lighting, countertops, furnishings, and interiors. At each meeting, we won't just set you loose on our whole collection of samples, that would be overwhelming. Instead, we'll have different options and directions prepared for you in trays on our handcrafted beautiful cottonwood plank table. You can spend as much or as little time as you like doing this but we find these hours spent together help us get to know you better and therefore narrow down a design style that is truly you. Not to mention, they can be fun times dreaming and working creatively together.
Construction dream projects are a big deal. We know, we're going through the process right now! But what a joy it is to have a vision, to really hone in on what it is you want out of a home or office, to pour yourself into making the project a reality. We love to join forces with our clients in this kind of work and we are so excited to be preparing a beautiful place for you to come to do it. The finish line is in sight and we hope to be moving our library over in the last week of September, so if you see us there drop by and say "Hi". We'll be up to our ears sorting through samples, but we're always happy to see friends.
*These writings are a collaborative effort between Slaughter Design Studio, and Ben Rodgers Pivotol. We do the designing and thinking, they capture it in words and “essence” so we can share it with you!