a humbling and exciting day

Today I was humbled, Over at a43 doing the finishing touches. One of them being the final install of the teak top. We were asked to install hardware that would prevent a chest lid from slamming. Gagan was given the task, I was working on the teak top. The interior designers bought the hardware and dropped it off. I was skeptical because I have not been able to find such hardware, EVER. At first Gagan said it can't be done, I showed him another way it might work and he set about on that, then the designers arrived and wanted to know if would work. I told them in no uncertain terms that it was not going to work and they should have heeded my advice when I months ago told them it was not going to work. So then shortly after Gagan comes out of the mudroom saying it works, it works, look look. And sure enough it worked as beautifully as we all wanted. That was the humbling moment. The designers hardware that I had scoffed at and said wouldn't work did indeed work. I know these designers really well and have been working with them for years and they sort of know me thankfully, anybody else would have looked at me as a fool. Have to whatch out for things like in the future.

After that I left Gagan to finish up at that house and I took off in the hopes of making some new contacts. I went to The Van Millwork home series seminar. Some would call that inappropriate as I am a competitor of theirs. But I don't think I make the competitor list. Van Millwork is a huge company, with several showrooms, and their own complete line of moldings that are sold in most lumber yards. I am a five man company clawing my way through the bottom dregs of residential construction. I am a market aggressor no doubt and they are the market leader, for me I was intrigued by the topic of today's seminar. Being Landscape design. The speaker was excellent and had a wonderful selection of photos of which I quickly sketched my favorite images. Her name is Rochelle Greayer of Greayer Designs Associates. I had the good fortune of meeting Rochelle after the seminar, I asked Rochelle where she got her inspiration. With out thought she said "from other designers". What a wonderful answer. I can totally relate to that. I look through all kinds of magazines, and my favorite books of my favorite architects for ideas. I bring this up only because I have been wrestling with design myself lately and chiefly finding and not finding inspiration. If anybody reading this is looking for a landscape architect I would recommend Rochelle.

So then back to my shop to prepare for..............are you ready, install of job b58. I have been waiting for this moment ever since I first starting doing the designs which was back in december. I started doing my lay-out today, upon inspection the walls of the kitchen are perfectly square, and level. That is unusual. I have high aspirations for the install. From this stand point it looks like it is going to go smooth. This will be one of the first jobs that we will be using are new system of tracking every single part, and trying to follow our pre-planned install attack where we decide the job into 3 phases.(see earlier posting for 3 phase break downs)
I am fired up by this install and in four days time i should have much to talk about.