Looking Ahead - On the boards

Recent Renovation

Louds Island Saltwater Farm Renovation & Addition

Builder: Gary Lailer

Kitchen featured in New Old House Magazine

Precedent Designworks is prominently featured in the Summer 2009 issue of New Old House Magazine. Designed by Precedent Designworks, built by Sheepscot Custom Woodworking/GC Marden Builders and inspired by Damariscotta Pottery and a 1933 MagicChef gas stove this local kitchen is just good ole' fun! Pickup a copy at your local bookstore and check it out!

Introducing Precedent Designworks

Design and construction of a house is one of life's greatest endeavors. It is emotional, personal,technical and exact all at one time. To be successful the process requires creativity, practical know-how and building expertise.

precedent designworks is a small, creative and highly motivated design firm committed to providing custom residential design services to the Coast of Maine. With 20 years of experience in residential design we recognize that successful projects are realized through participation and collaboration. Unwavering enthusiasm and focus are dedicated to each and every project.

Offering five phases of design precedent designworks provides personal attention and hands-on oversight to clients throughout the design and building process.

Unlike other residential design firms, we excel in seeing a project through from initial sketches to move-in day. Our goal is integrating our services with those of the general contractor and the various trades. Once the set of construction documents are issued to the builder, we oversee construction every step of the way. Our attention to detail makes sure that the builder receives the support needed to carry the project through to completion. Our response to job-site generated questions is fast and decisive and, given the cost of building today, it's important to keep construction moving forward and on schedule.

precedent designworks, offering a unique and refreshing approach to residential design. Please take a look at our portfolio. We look forward to meeting you and discussing your project soon!

Kitchen Floor Mats: Easy on the back

Floor mats unlike any other. Ultra comfortable gel mats for those who spend a lot of time standing in the kitchen. You'll have to have one or two of these wherever you stand frequently.

Check out www.gelpro.com for sizes, colors, patterns and pricing

Check out the gallery

Cherry Kitchen

Custom Kitchen Design

Plateless Receptacles

Designer Omer Arbel, well known for his chandeliers with glass globes, revealed his latest projects at ICFF in New York this year, including a series of wall receptacles that require no plates. The U.L. and C.S.A. listed plugs use a special key to insert or remove the receptacle. The model shown uses a double mounting plate with the receptacles placed off the vertical axis and a single mounting plate; the receptacle is covered over with plaster or set into millwork. Options include power outlets, ethernet and phone plugs, and switches and dimmers. See Bocci's page at http://bocci.ca/?#/22-standard/ for more information.

Palladian Spa Bath/Built by Pine Ridge Carpentry

Unknown Fisherman finds Home

Of my many interests and hobbies photography is something I can do anywhere. When Im not photographing my kids or taking photos of my built projects I enjoy capturing life around me. The Unknown Fishermen reminds me of my own father and grandfather and it now hangs on the wall of one of my recent projects. Its a great finishing touch and a great way to say thanks to clients.

Custom Wood Windows

Windows by Sheepscot Custom Woodworking

General Contrator: Marden Builders

Shingle Style Detailing

General Contractor: Marden Builders

Pedal Valve: A closer snapshot

I’m finally getting back to sharing the pedal valve install.  This little piece of hardware allows hands free operation of the faucet.  If you’re like me you getting tired of having to turn on and off and adjust temperature of the faucet.  Pedal Valve lets you set the temperature at your faucet and use your foot when water flow is needed.  I’ve had two separate installations and I now know why my clients love them so much.  Simply convenient!

Check back with this post again.  Ill update the where you can locate on the web and roughly the cost of the unit installed by a plumbing professional.

Georgian Reproduction – Richly detailed

The precedent for this new home was the Georgian Style Wentworth-Gardiner House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  While the exterior is nearly an exact duplicate the interior is modified to accomodate modern day living.  The details are well done and craftsmanship is impeccable. Ill post more photos of the interior soon.

Island End Panel Design

Damariscotta Pottery shards were the inspiration for this island end panel. Supplied with removeable end panels and using shards of pottery the homeowner was able to put the finishing touch on her pottery inspired kitchen island.

Christmas Cove Living Porch

Custom Fireplace Surround & Mantle

Contemporary Living

On island...Off the grid Summer Cottage

Composing Local Arhitectural Shapes/Forms

God is in the Details

Whale's Tale Kitchen Renovated

View Blog

Before and After

Shingle Style

Reversica Revealed

Designing Green Roofs

Mod Sod: A green roof often involves complicated work, but this modular system streamlines the process. It consists of 2-foot-by-2-foot anodized ­aluminum modules containing drought-resistant sedum. Materials may be planted in up to 12 inches of engineered growing material and may weigh from 12 pounds to 51 pounds per square foot depending on the depth of soil. Green Roof Blocks. 314-972-8010. www.greenroofblocks.com.

Internal Turbine Faucets

Toto.

EcoPower sensor faucets power themselves: The units’ chrome fittings make their own electricity when the flow of water spins their internal turbine; a lithium battery is a backup for periods of infrequent use. The three residential-design-friendly units include the modern Axiom, the contemporary Helix, and the traditional Fordham (shown). Their flow rate is 32% lower than the federal mandate. 800.350.8686. www.totousa.com.

Circa Home Living

For my clients who have an appreciation for period living.
Check out www.circahomeliving.blogspot.com

Consider Cypress

Bald Cypress

I've recently been working on a coastal residence that required use of a highly stable wood for wood ceilings. After much consideration I chose cypress, a wood that I have never worked with before. So far the application has worked beautifully. However, check back again soon where I'll have the general contractor provide feedback on installation and workability. In the meantime here's some information on cypress.

A deciduous conifer. Height 120 feet to 140 feet. Trunk diameter 4 feet to 5 feet. Distribution: as far north as the Pine Barrens of New Jersey south throughout the southeastern United States. Primarily found in the swamps and coastal tidewaters of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida and Mississippi. Related to the California redwood, bald cypress is a very big tree and exceedingly long lived. One in Mexico is estimated to be approximately 7,000 years old. Just when you think that you`ve got nature all compartmentalized and tidied-up, along comes a tree like the bald cypress. It is a conifer but loses its needles every winter, which makes it also deciduous! In the spring it produces new tender green needles that grow and darken all summer. In the fall they turn autumn colors and fall off, again.

The bald cypress thrives in swamp water and tidal flows preferring to be submerged at least part of the year. The huge trunks yield large quantities of moisture-resistant timber. It is a soft wood, not very strong but the lumber is very durable. It has a uniquely high resistance to insects, dampness and fungal decay. It is a reliable wood, stable with little shrinkage. Bald cypress machines well with proper tools. It finishes, stains and holds paint well and can be easily glued. It has an irregular but attractive grain Cypress wood is a beautiful warm brown color-more red from the coastal trees and more yellow from the inland trees. It is often described as salmon colored.

Because of its dampness tolerance, bald cypress is a more popular choice in the Southern states than in New England. As its durability is legendary, it is an excellent choice wherever insects and humidity are a consideration. Bald cypress is available in many grades. "Pecky cypress" and the better grades are sold for decorative and interior applications -molding, doors and other millwork. One grade known as "board and batten" grade is ideal for exterior siding. It is also suited for structural uses. It is readily available as lumber, limited as veneer. Its price range is average but the cost fluctuates depending on the season and the rainfall. Because it must be harvested in the swamps, it is easier and less expensive to cut in dry seasons. Correspondingly, in heavy wet-weather years, it is harder to get to the good supplies so the price goes up. Bald cypress is one of the most versatile woods grown in the United States. Because of its affordability, it is a good choice for both decorative and practical reasons. In wet climates, it is used principally for building construction: posts, beams, siding in warehouses, factories, docks, bridges, houses, porches, greenhouses, cooling towers and stadiums. It is also used for tanks, vats, refrigeration and cooperage. Because of its handsome color, the finer grades are used for interior applications such as flooring, paneling, trim, sash, doors and blinds. It also has a market for outdoor furniture and swings.

misLED: Facts and Fiction of LED Lighting

Recommended reading by Lisa Ryan (LRyan Lighting and Design)
http://www.waclighting.com/USA/information/?infcategoryid=4&infarticleid=361