Fivecat Studio: Facebook and Twitter

Are you following Fivecat Studio on Facebook and Twitter?

We post to our Facebook on a weekly basis and keep it updated with our most recent work and status on current projects. Twitter is a great place for quick thoughts and ideas on residential architecture and design, as well as links to new and interesting products and materials.

Both sites also allow you to interact with Fivecat Studio as well. Share your thoughts or ask a question and we’ll be happy to respond.

Join us by clicking the links above or on the icons in the right margin. We’ll see you out there.

Zenda Farm

Throughout the many years I’ve been visiting the river, I have always admired the silvery steel barns arranged along Rt.12 in Clayton.

Today, I had the opportunity to get a little closer.

Zenda Farm, a “modern” farm operated throughout the 1950′s, is now owned by the Thousand Islands Land Trust.

From Thousand Islands Life:

TILT, the simple name for the Thousand Islands Land Trust, is a non-profit organization that owns over 3500 acres of land, much of which is open to the public. TILT is dedicated to protecting the unique character of the Thousand Islands region while trying to provide a balance between preserving natural areas and ensuring that responsible development may continue to occur.

Read more.

Here’s a recent article about Zenda Farm from the Watertown Daily Times.

Antique Boats (repost)

The St. Lawrence River is filled with antique mahogany boats. In fact, just south of our little cottage, is Clayton, home of the Antique Boat Museum.

Each vessel is a work of art; from the precision cut pattern of the mahogany boards, to the perfect depth of the varnished finish, to the bright solid brass hardware. They’re simply beautiful.

Each summer, I love touring the river and spotting the antique boats tucked away from the rain and wind. Most of the boat houses on the river are slightly weathered, slightly skewed. Their interiors are dark and mysterious, but when you find a boat house with the stern of a sleek, shining mahogany boat peeking out, it’s like lifting the top on a jewelry box. The contrasts are wonderful.

The River House

About 15 years ago, in preparation for retirement, my parents found their River House on the shore of the St. Lawrence at Fishers Landing.

It’s a small fisherman’s cottage; a simple clipped gable structure built in the late 1930′s. The entire house was constructed using materials salvaged from a nearby hotel that was lost to fire. The walls have no interior finish or insulation. Many joists are spliced mid-span and no door matches another.

The antique mahogany boats gurgling by, the windows rattling in the breeze and the slam of the squeaky screen door are sounds integral with the experience of living in this special place.

It’s a place where kids are free to run from house to house, because every neighbor is a friend. It’s a place where you can sleep in a hammock all day long… guilt free. It’s a place where love is ever present and memories are made on a daily basis.

The River House is one of my favorite places. Do you have a favorite place?

The River

I am back up at the St. Lawrence River for 10 days.

The river is a great place to rest, relax and regroup… and it’s loaded with amazing architecture. Stay tuned and I will share some of my favorite houses on the banks of Millionaire’s Row.

Green Project Signs

If you’re a local, you may have seen a Fivecat Studio project sign highlighting one of our many projects throughout Westchester County.

What you may not know, is that all of our project signs are constructed using recycled and salvaged materials.

The signs are printed on recycled corrugated polyethylene and the white frames are fabricated using salvaged douglas fir lumber rescued from our project dumpsters.

So, next time you see one of our blue and white signs, keep in mind that they’re also very green.

Progress at Monterey Avenue Phase 2

Our clients on Monterey Avenue, Pelham, invited us back to design and build a new stone terrace.

The stone for the wall veneer is being shipped from an Adirondack quarry and should arrive early next week.

The painted wood rails, built to match the rails we designed for the front porch and roof deck (part of Phase 1), are in the shop waiting to be installed when the flagstone deck is complete.

I think it looks great without the stone (above). I can’t wait to see it finished.

Friends of Fivecat: Uttermost

You may know Uttermost as a purveyor of fine home decorative products, such as frames, mirrors, lamps and accessories. We’ve spec’d their goods for our restaurant and retail work in the early years of Fivecat Studio. More recently, a few of their mirrors have found their way into our high-end residential projects.

What I did not know, until Annmarie showed me a recent ad in Veranda magazine, is that the people who run Uttermost are animal rescuers, just like us.

We’ve found over the years that folks who love animals, and go the extra mile to ensure their happiness and safety, are just good people. Good people run good companies.

If you’re in the market for home decor, check out Uttermost. A portion of every sale goes to support animal rescue organizations. For more information on Uttermost, their work with homeless animals and a few canine bios (Simon’s too) from their recent advertisements, visit the Uttermost Newsroom.

Bucky Fuller and his Amazing Geodesic Dome

***

Thanks Scott

Crown Point Cabinetry… Again

Looks like we’re going to be installing another Crown Point kitchen.

One of our first and finest clients invited us back again to renovate a couple of bathrooms and fit out a new kitchen. We shopped around for the best value and Crown Point won hands down. Being located in New Hampshire and bypassing the expense of the dealer/showroom business model allows them to offer full custom cabinetry at very competitive prices.

We’ve worked with Crown Point several times throughout the past ten years. Their quality workmanship is top notch and their customer service is second to none.

Crown Point is best known for their traditional style cabinetry. Even This Old House installed a Crown Point kitchen in their latest TV project house. Today, Crown Point posted a few photos of a contemporary style kitchen they just completed. So, even if you’re looking for cabinets with more modern lines, Crown Point should be on your list.