Bookshelves

A customer recently asked me to assemble an antique bedframe. When I say antique, I mean 16th century. It was a very impressive piece. It required a little surgery to make it structurally sound, but it worked out and is ready to use. Afterward, they asked me to build a set of bookshelves for their livingroom. They had some requirements- no plywood, MDF nor any substrate that wasn’t all natural wood. We had some pretty tight size requirements to meet as well. Above you see construction is finished and I am covered in sawdust, doing some final sanding. They will be painted and installed as built-ins so I wanted to show them off in their natural state. This one is 8’ tall and both cases feature a tudor-arch mimic, which the customer wanted to fit in with the original style still featured in the house built in the early 1900s. I think I pulled it off. I love the projects that keep me in the shop. While i love the home services aspect of my job, this is my element. Stay tuned for the final installation.

Gazebo goodness

One thing I love about my work is the variety. From cabinets to woodworking to tile to flooring, I do it all. Last week, I installed a gazebo for a local business’ employee break area. It came in a kit and just needed to be assembled. The size was a challenge and it took a little creativity to get it together. The surface also had to leveled to make sure everything lined up correctly. The asphalt was almost 4 inches lower on one corner. so concrete footers were installed. It turned out to be a nice gig despite the heat. Now it’s a nice shady spot for the employees to take a beat and get some fresh air.

Altered Altar

A repeat customer needed some custom work done. As the family makes strides towards creating a home as they settle in, my work here as been moving from my typical, home owner services like picture hanging and other interior installations, to more custom touches. There are plans for some custom shelving for the wet bar and a built-in for the dining room.

During the installation. Smoothing out the casing miters and prepping for paint. The goal was to match the finish of the built-in across the room.

First, we had to dress up the prayer altar built into a family room on the lower level. The small, closet-like space was a simple structure, with drywall and baseboards as any room would have. The customer wanted a new entry made, to coordinate with the other woodworks in the room, and to give the altar a more ornate look.

A sketch was made that included a transom window and a decorative vents, along with a door on hidden hinges. As discussions continued, the door was eliminated, simplifying the project and making it better, in my opinion.

In the shop waiting for finish and glazing. It looks beautiful in naked poplar, but I’m a sucker for unfinished wood.

I finished the install after about a week of shoptime, and I am really happy with the result. The finished matched dead-on with the built-ins already in the room and the altar now has a look to match its esteem.

New Azalea Park Kitchen

My awesome younger sister recently bought a house in the Azalea Park neighborhood of Orlando. It’s a great starter home with potential on a huge lot. It was also quick rehab by the previous owner in order to get it on the market and was missing some basic features that make a kitchen a pleasant place to be.

In lieu of upper cabinets, some rather insufficient shelving was put in place. While the open shelving look is popular, this however, ain’t it.

I put together a design to maximize the available wall space, to add some sorely needed storage, a more homey feel, and a traditional look. White shaker cabinets with large 36” uppers were built from scratch in my shop and coated with a super durable white semigloss lacquer, and installed with butcher block counter tops.

The difference is night and day. The bright white makes the cabinets unimposing even though they added quite a bit of bullk to walls. Even though we’ve lost the open space of having open shelves, the room still feels bright and airy, and the new lighting really fills the room at night.

The result is a kitchen that is joy to use, with place for everything, a huge industrial style sink, and brand new appliances. Future plans include a pantry closet and a tile backspash. Stay tuned for updates!

Peppertree punchup

Customer recently purchased this mobile as a rental. An outdated, busy interior desperately needed a chill pill. Clean white paint, fresh white cabs and an icy laminate countertop brighten the air. Ready for new tenants!

What does a handyman do?

The services a handyman provides depends on the regulations of the state you are in, or the willingness for any given handyman to break them. I tend to stick with following the rules, and so here in Florida, I won’t venture into things like plumbing, electrical and HVAC. The state prohibits even the installation of ceiling fans. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC are highly technical aspects of construction and require specific knowledge to diagnose and repair. Even if a job seems simple, without proper training, you don’t know what you don’t know. It’s best if you have issues with these systems to call a qualified technician to address them.

What I can do are things like light carpentry such as fascia repair and trim carpentry. With all the rain we get here in Florida, wood components of the exterior trim of your house may be deteriorating and in need of repair. I can do many other things such as flooring installation, door and window repair, drywall patch and paint, caulking, and others. For a more detailed list, visit the “services” page. And of course, if you are not sure, feel free to fill out the form on the “quote” page. I try to answer any questions as quickly as possible.

Seminole Heights Porch

About a month ago, I began this project. Its the front porch of an early 20th century bungalow in Seminole Heights in Tampa. Its a beautiful little place with period correct interior updates on a tree covered lot. The homeowner however, can’t enjoy the front porch without being accompanied by an inconvenient number of mosquitoes. That’s where I come in. Instead of a typical aluminum frame that would have been a bit out of step with the rest of the property, the homeowner wanted a wood frame. Using a “Screen Tight” track system, I am able to accommodate. After a new delivery of some kiln-dried pressure treated lumber, I can begin the scribe molding to the existing structure of the porch. Then paint and finally, screen application.

Pictured is the wood frame completed by me last month. the extra space next to the doorway is for a mail-slot. Stay tuned.

Davenport Art StudiOMG

So here it is, a month later and I’m finished with the art studio. The drywall turned out pretty nice and I love the window trim. Simple with an extra reveal for the jamb extension. The HVAC will be installed this week and the artist will be back to work in no time. A couple revisions along the way but the customer is happy and I can move on to completing my next project…the Seminole Heights Porch.

Davenport Art Studio

A local artist recently had this steel building built on her property to serve as an art studio. She is formerly a professional graphic artist and works today in oils. However, the building is sun-beaten all day and proved too hot to work in for any substantial length of time. She asked me if I could help insulate it and finish the interior with drywall and trim. No small task as the building is 24 x 24, but 15’ at the peak. Quite an undertaking for a one-man operation. I jumped at the chance to improve my drywall skills and accepted the project, and she accepted my price. Pictured is middle of installing the strapping to which the drywall will be screwed and installing the R19 insulation. The customer has hired an HVAC company to install a mini-split to cool this beast down. She cant wait to settle in to her new workspace.