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Feb 09
Love13
kyoto sumiya geisha house kitchen

Sumiya Pleasure House: Jaw-Dropping Traditional Japanese Craftsmanship

By Photos, Traditional Building, Japan

The Sumiya Pleasure House is one of the most lavish examples of traditional Japanese architecture and craftsmanship in Kyoto. It is truly from another time. I was captivated by the incredible carpentry and plaster details while wandering through the building. For anyone interested in high end Japanese craftsmanship, this building is a must-see.

Sumiya is incredibly well-preserved. Amazingly, it’s been managed by the same family for 13 generations. It no longer serves the same purpose that it once did — instead, it’s a rare glimpse into a very specific piece of Japanese culture and a testament to the skill of carpenters, plasterers, and craftsmen of the Edo period. I’m fascinated by the history, but the actual carpentry and plaster details are what really moves me.

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Nov 28
Love1

Shofuso House… Revisited

By Traditional Building, Photos
shofuso house - gable

Shofuso House in Fairmont Park

After my work trip to eastern PA in August, April and I stopped in Philadelphia on the way home. We took the opportunity to re-visit Shofuso House, the traditionally constructed Japanese house in Fairmount Park. It’s been three years since we first went to see the building, and it was almost like seeing it with fresh eyes on this most recent trip. Needless to say, I had a blast.

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Sep 27
Love2

2017 Natural Building Essentials Workshop Photos

By Cob Oven, Clay Plaster, Photos, Cob Building, Natural Building Workshops

cob stomping mixing

We recently wrapped up our September Natural Building Essentials Workshop. Fourteen folks came out to participate, traveling from Texas, Florida, Kansas, Illinois, and beyond. It was an enjoyable ephemeral community for the week — everyone was eager to jump in the mud and help out. I enjoy this workshop format because it’s a chance to spend some quality time with the basic building blocks of a natural home — clay, sand, and straw.

Read ahead to view a photo gallery of the workshop!

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Mar 14
Love0

Photos from Around the Homestead

By Photos, Homesteading

I take a lot of photos, and living at the new homestead provides even more opportunity to do so. I try not to flood this blog with too much non-natural building related stuff, as it can easily become a bit unfocused.

However, you can still get a little insight into our lives here in Kentucky — check out our new instagram feed to see more photos from around the homestead. Expect a lot of gardening, woodworking, mushroom and wild food, craft, and other current projects there. Be sure to connect with us to get regular updates!

[instagram-feed]

 

Feb 11
Love0

Some Bedroom Remodel Photos & Ideas

By Photos
Bedroom Remodel Ideas

Our finished bedroom remodel with some new natural elements

Ok, I finally have some remodeling photos to share. We had a surprise snowy day yesterday, and the light reflecting from the ground into the bedroom inspired me to tidy up and take a few photos. The difference from what we started with is not insignificant, I would say. In this post, you can see examples of milk paint applied over the original latex, our new oak hardwood floors, and a few other aesthetic touches and functional improvements in our bedroom remodel.

Check out the comparison below for ideas for your own remodeling projects!

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Dec 13
Love0

SunRay’s Magical Treehouse

By Design, Photos, Carpentry
SunRay Kelley Treehouse

A ramp provides access to this funky little treehouse — I love how the underside of the roof catches morning light

SunRay Kelley may be one of the most “mythical” of the natural builders out there. He’s the builder known for saying the forest is his “Super Natural Store”, and his building designs conjure up feelings of the fantastical, magical, funkadelic. I had the privilege of seeing one of his creations in the making at the recent 20th anniversary Natural Building Colloquium at the Black Range Lodge in Kingston, NM — a whimsical treehouse nestled in ponderosa pine trees, featuring some signature SunRay touches. Check out the photos of this wild little building ahead…

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Aug 24
Love0

The Off-Grid Straw Bale Cabin: Workshop Photo Gallery

By Natural Building Workshops, Photos, Straw Bale Building
Straw Bale Workshop Site

Working on the site of our 2015 Straw Bale Workshop

I’m writing from the past for the future — I should be in Vermont as you read this. I scheduled this little post to self-publish so you’d have some fun photos to look at while I’m PDCing it up during this latter part of August.

Here’s a photo gallery and slideshow from our recent July Straw Bale Workshop in which we built the straw bale walls of a small, off-grid octagonal cabin in the Kentucky foothills. It’s always amazing to me to see the walls go up and instantly take the house to a whole new level of completion. I love the gradual defining of the space from digging the foundation trench, to building the frame and roof, and then the stacking of the walls themselves. Even once the straw bales are up, the house is still ultimately a ways away from actual “completion” (whatever that means), but my goodness it feels good.

Read ahead to see the evolution of the small straw bale home in the woods during our course!
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Apr 21
Love0

Where Do Your Morels Lie?

By Photos, Homesteading
Morel Mushrooms 2015

A few paltry (but pretty) morel mushrooms

Well dangnabbit. This year appears to be another bust for morel mushrooms. Last year, resident fungi guru and our friend Tim said (of 2014) “this is the worst year to date, in my experience”. This year he said “this is the worst year to date, in my experience”. Well, humph. Did we bring bad luck with us from Missouri?

At least we found a few… and I mean, a few. Pictured above is a not insignificant percentage of the total haul. I’ve heard firsthand accounts of years where 30 lbs. of morels were plucked out of the woods and carried victoriously home. Granted, that was a rare boom year, but still. The disparity of the prevalence of these morels is rather odd.

Oh well. Maybe next year? Or maybe the other fungi family members will pick up the slack (chicken of the woods, chanterelles, maitake?) Have you had any luck in your neck of the woods?

Oh right, building stuff… I’ve got a big ol’ article in the works, coming at you hopefully within a couple days. It’s been hard to find the time this past week, but my newest post will be about timber framing tools… stay tuned.

Jan 06
Love0

2014 in Review: A Chockablock Year

By Timber Framing, Strawtron, Woodworking, Wood Carving, Natural Building Workshops, Cob Oven, Photos

outdoor-pizza-ovenI can hardly recall such a dynamic, diverse year as 2014. 2014 marked a transition year for April and I, and I’m happy to say that it was a smooth one. It was our first year living in the Berea, Kentucky area, having left Dancing Rabbit in the fall of 2013. This move was not an insignificant event, as I spent seven full and formative years in the northeast Missouri ecovillage.

I like to think back on the year past and try to remember all that has happened — maintaining this blog is actually an important way for me to be able to do that. It’s as much about documenting what we’re up to as it is a way for me to preserve some of life’s countless details. Here I’ll share some of the notable events and experiences of 2014, the year of our transition into a new life outside of Berea, Kentucky.

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Dec 12
Love0

This Mayne Island Cob House is Stunning

By Cob Building, Photos
Mayne Island Cob House 00

This Mayne Island cob house is one of the most beautiful, built in 1999

This cob house is one of my favorites out there. Built by CobWorks and the Cob Cottage Company in 1999, it’s the first fully permitted cob house to be built in Canada, specifically on Mayne Island, BC. Read ahead for more beautiful photos of the home.

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