Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Crown Moulding Installation Cost Tampa Florida Region

Florida Craftwood offers the best price for crown moulding installation you can find in the Tampa, Florida region. A standard sized moulding that is used in most homes is a moulding that is 5 1/4 inches wide which is purchased pre-primed from the factory. (see sample pictures) Lengths are 16 foot. This is professionally installed, nailed into existing studs, caulked into ceiling and wall, nail holes filled and sanded, and one finish coat of high-grade semi-gloss latex paint applied.

Price ranges from $5 to $6 per foot installed depending on ceiling heights and obstructions for this particular moulding. Below are some recent photos.

Hexagon ceiling in dining room
© Florida Craftwood



Divided wall between foyer and family room
© Florida Craftwood



© Florida Craftwood

Frog tape is used to mask off moulding to wall leaving a clean line between painted moulding (semi-gloss) and wall color (flat) when completed. A sample of moulding is provided to customers when consultation occurs during first appointment.

Call Florida Craftwood today at 813-833-8722 to set an appointment, receive a free sample, and estimate. Ask for Mark.

Sample moulding
© Florida Craftwood



Monday, September 19, 2016

Examples of Furniture Restoration

Furniture Restoration is often a worthy cause as many factory floor pieces use cheap labor and cheap ingredients to simulate what was once woodworking art. Here are two examples of recent restorations completed for customers.

The first is an old solid cherry wood hutch that was partially damaged in a fire where the finish had turned almost black in some areas. The piece was stripped of its original finish, sanded, stained to match the lattice work in the door, and sprayed with satin lacquer.

© Florida Craftwood

© Florida Craftwood

© Florida Craftwood

© Florida Craftwood
 Here is what the hutch looked like before finishing.


This second example was a painted piece which had gold highlights inside the grooves on the legs and the beads on the legs at the bottom. This was thought to be aspen on the drawer fronts and legs. The drawer fronts are milled with soft curves in the face while the legs have a groove milled and elaborate foot details.

Once stripped, it was discovered that the side panels were masonite, so panels were added to match using wood of birch. The top had a piece of Formica which was painted brown. The original hardware was removed and is being upgraded.

© Florida Craftwood

© Florida Craftwood

© Florida Craftwood

Stain colors are mixes of various stains to acquire the appropriate tint and shade. Prices are quite reasonable compared to on-site construction/installations. The average cost ranges from $350 to $500 to strip and finish one piece of furniture.


Sunday, August 7, 2016

Ideas for Wooden Window Valances

The following are several ideas that have been created to dress up windows where casing is absent. This first example shows a valance that is approximately 10 inches tall with a fancy crown moulding and a bead moulding at the bottom edge that has two coves on each side. The top seems to be rather thin, maybe about 1/2 inch thick and has been rounded some on the edge. This is from hgtv.com.

© hgtv.com
The next example shows a standard crown moulding, a top that is a bit thicker, and a base cap moulding at the bottom edge. This also looks to be between 8-10 inches tall. The cornice is perfectly sized only extending just slightly more that the drapery as the first example. This one seems to carry a stronger distinction, and a bit more traditional, it is from Tedswoodworking.com.

© Tedswoodworking.com
The following example claims to be 9 inches tall but looks to be 12 inches upon sight. The moulding at the bottom edge is uncertain, and instead of crown moulding at the top, a chair rail type is used with a top extension. The extension from the wall also seems to be a bit excessive which may be to allow draperies that are not shown. This is from 3blindmiceusa.com.

© 3blindmiceusa.com
Here is an example of a valance without a top cover. One issue with dressing up a window is to take advantage of the idea of keeping dust off of the drapery. Why not add a top to protect any kind of window covering utilized? The bottom edge profile has been incorporated into the face of the valance providing a nice detail. This is also more difficult to mount to the wall, from alfa.com.

© alfa.com
This last example shows a window that has been cased and the drapery hides most of the window trim except the stool. This allows you to have a bit of perspective in how size and proportion affect the overall look. This valance also does not seem to show a top cover and may be a bit tight on the drapery. This is from WindowTreatmentDesigns.com.

© WindowTreatmentDesigns.com


Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Design Ideas for Headboards with Cabinet Storage

When looking at various designs for Headboards one begins to understand the difficulty in arriving at a workpiece that is non-obstructive while also providing useful functionality. In the following design, the thickness of the cabinet is reduced on the inside edge to add less obstruction, in effect splitting the upper cabinet with a door to the outside, while leaving the inside open and adding small lights. The is a bedroom set from taragodwin.com.

© Taragodwin.com
Here is another bedroom set that has picked up the same idea, although contemporary in design, the addition of a pullout in each side cabinet is more traditional along with storage above the mattress. Here, the upper cabinet is again reduced to the inside edge to meet up with the headboard. This is from Interiorbit.com.


© Interiorbit.com

A more elaborate design is made by separating the bedframe from the cabinets in this fabulous teenage room workpiece where a cabinet over the bedframe is attached to the two additional storage cabinets. Then lights are added in various locations, and the cabinets are likely attached to the wall for security. This is from homegoid.com.

© Homegoid.com
The idea that a bedframe must always be incorporated into a design is not necessary especially if one decides to upgrade bedding or alter colors. The following allows the wall color to show through adding to the design flavor. This is from homedit.com.

© Homedit.com
Being creative is the key while also blending the necessary colors and tones that are pleasing and functional. We found this last example outstanding. This is from FallsMillworkelley.com.

© Falls Millwork


Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Glass houses? Scientists develop ‘transparent wood’ for electronics, construction

RT | May 17, 2016

© umd.edu
Scientists at the University of Maryland have developed a see-through wood which is stronger and more insulating than glass.

The transparent wood could be used in car manufacturing, for light-based electronics systems, and as a building material, according to the study published in Advanced Materials.

"It can be used in automobiles when the wood is made both transparent and high strength," said Dr. Mingwei Zhu, the co-author of the paper. "You could also use it as a unique building material."

The team led by materials scientist Liangbing Hu removed the molecule in wood - ‘lignin’ - that makes it rigid and dark in color. They did this by boiling wood in a bath of water, sodium hydroxide and other chemicals for about two hours.

This process left behind a colorless cell structure which the team then filled with epoxy to make it four to six-times stronger.


The transparent wood could be used in car manufacturing, for light-based electronics systems, and as a building material, according to the study published in Advanced Materials.

"It can be used in automobiles when the wood is made both transparent and high strength," said Dr. Mingwei Zhu, the co-author of the paper. "You could also use it as a unique building material."

The team led by materials scientist Liangbing Hu removed the molecule in wood - ‘lignin’ - that makes it rigid and dark in color. They did this by boiling wood in a bath of water, sodium hydroxide and other chemicals for about two hours.

This process left behind a colorless cell structure which the team then filled with epoxy to make it four to six-times stronger.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Outstanding Mudroom Cabinet/Storage Ideas

Personal entry ways are common any many homes without the formality of the main foyer which is often not suited for such arrangements. There are several cabinet ideas available from HomeStratosphere.com such as the one below where coats, boots, and miscellaneous storage are commonly stored, although we don't often wear boots in Florida. The following offers locker-type cabinetry for family settings, drop-panel doors and cabinet sides with bolection molding, inset doors, storage above with a darker backside which doesn't show marking as easily, and drawers below. The grating in the doors offers extra ventilation.

© HomeStratosphere.com

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Lumber Liquidators Plummets as Losses Mount, Sales Slide Lingers

Bloomberg | May 10, 2016

© angieslist.com
Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. tumbled after reporting first-quarter results that were weaker than expected, showing that allegations it sold tainted flooring continue to dog the chain.

The net loss was $1.20 a share, the Toano, Virginia-based company said Tuesday in a statement. Analysts projected a deficit of 22 cents, on average, but the figures may not be comparable. Revenue sank 10 percent to $233.5 million, which was less than analysts estimated.

The quarter marked Lumber Liquidators’ fourth straight sales decline since the “60 Minutes” news program reported in March 2015 that the chain sold Chinese-made laminate flooring with cancer-causing levels of formaldehyde. The company denied those allegations and eventually stopped selling those kinds of floors.
The shares fell as much as 18 percent to $11.07 for the biggest intraday drop since Feb. 22. The stock already had declined 23 percent this year through Monday.

Once a fast-growing retailer, Lumber Liquidators is now trying to revive a damaged brand and rebuild confidence with investors. The stock has lost more than 70 percent since the allegations, which were fueled by short sellers such as Whitney Tilson.

Management Changes


The company has gone through a management shakeup as well, with several senior executives leaving. John Presley, a longtime board member, became chief executive officer in November. He has since been diagnosed with leukemia and yet has remained involved in day-to-day operations.

The falloff in the business was swift after the “60 Minutes” report last year. Revenue tanked, and those declines accelerated, with sales at established stores going from a 1.8 percent drop in the first quarter of 2015 to a 17 percent decrease in the final three months of last year. Revenue by that measure dropped 14 percent last quarter. The lack of demand has led to losses and forced the company to borrow from its credit revolver.

Involvement by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn’t helped. The agency, which was helping the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission with a probe of the company’s products, said in February that testing on the flooring in question showed minimal health risks. It then came back and said it made a basic math error and that the exposure to formaldehyde was three times higher. That brought a whole new round of negative headlines for the brand.

Legal Challenges


The company also is facing a wave of litigation from consumers and shareholders. One potential headache for the chain was alleviated in April, when a judge ruled in its favor in a lawsuit over label regulations in California.

Lumber Liquidators has been dealing with other regulators, too. The company received a third subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in March, regarding an investigation into compliance with disclosure, financial reporting and trading requirements.

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Bathroom Wainscoting Beadboard Contrasting Colors

Here we have an outstanding mission style bathroom detail. The wainscoting is run horizontally, while beadboard is vertical above, a matching frame for the mirror, and free-standing vanity furniture style with a bit of rustic flavor, butt hinges, simple pulls, and vertical grooves in the inset doors. Notice also the medicine cabinets are matching the vanity on each side. A brilliant job and the contrast between the vanity and wainscot really sets it off, from Minimalisti.com. It is assumed by looking in the mirror there is a shower (door right next to towel hook) on the other side with a commode in the small lighted room adjacent. A small bedmolding on the ceiling finishes it off.

© Minimalisti.com
There are three styles of profiles that exist. They are the cove, bead, and the ogee. However, in using them, one often attempts to add flavor into a work where flavor does not exist.

They exist as a compliment and the more I study craftmanship, the more I realize their restriction allows the artist the ability to think. Although there are many types of elaboration in architectural design far beyond these profiles, they provide the basis of milling technology.

In this particular artwork, there is a cove in the vanity legs, a small bead in the vertical woodwork, probably a cove on the raised panels in the medicine cabinet doors, and a 45 degree angle cut on the horizontal wainscoting to help the eye accept the joinery, otherwise without this small straight line profile, the eye would see variations in the gap, and the brain would not as easily accept it. By adding what is called tongue and groove to the joinery, the eye accepts it as the joinery is smoothed for the mind. The gaps in the inset doors and drawers on the vanity are made consistent otherwise the mind sees the imperfections.


Friday, April 29, 2016

Applied Wainscoting with Embossed Moldings

Here is an fantastic idea which has been installed with the right proportions and reveals. Embossed molding is pre-fabricated using many of the older traditional ideas in mind. This particular work incorporates a mirror in the extended section of the wall, done very nicely, from Pinterest. Here, we see contrasting color really is an improvement on what the eye sees and appreciates. The use of a rosette in the corners adds the flair in just the right amount to make a great wall decor.

© Pinterest

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Ideas for Built-in Bookcases

I came across this bookcase built into a doorway that looks really nice. The back side is obviously closed off as a flat panel that would need painting, although that could be trimmed out in various ways. The shelves are fixed and casing is used as trim with a pediment affect. Looks really nice. This comes from BuiltbyTodd.com.

© BuiltbyTodd.com
Here is another one but is called a storage unit from Ikeahackers.net. This is well planned out and very proportional to the eye. The horizontal divider at head height adds a nice touch to the piece, along with the drawers with the horizontal pulls. Many homes have these spaces that are not utilized as such.

© Ikeahackers.net
The combination of painted finish and exposed woodworking may have started as the following cabinets built around a window with a seat reveal. The addition of soffit over the cabinets to incorporate lighting and duckwork compliments the work. Noticeably the cabinets are a simple design which seems to match well in the room, from Customhomefinish.com.

© Customhomefinish.com
Here is great example of combining a desk setting with bookcases on each side with a contrasting idea. The shelves being long are made thicker so they do not bow down over time. Again, incorporating the cornice into the existing molding around the room with a capital affect at each pilaster. The shelves look fixed and the dark blue adds a nice contrast for the piece, from Viewalongtheway.com. Also, using butt hinges likely ballpins or finials on each end with a unique type of pull that may be locking adds a bit of tradition to the piece.

© Viewalongtheway.com
Another example of an amazing bookcase tucked into a space with the wallpaper exposed behind the shelving to add a wonderful look to the piece. Being next to a doorway, you will notice the stop on the floor to prevent the door from banging to this beautiful craftmanship. Looking at the shelves, again one wonders if they are not also fixed, from Danbankscompany.com. The light fixture adds a nice touch, fluted pilasters, while the cornice trim is integrated into the existing bed molding at the ceiling edge. It may be that the wallpaper was installed after rather than before installation. This photo may have been taken before hardware if any was installed on the doors.

© Danbankscompany.com
Bookcases and their designs are an integral part of any home, and they certainly inspire us to collect books and obviously read them, and this is in a world where book reading unfortunately has been declining.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Fireplace Mantel Designs

Viewing various mantel designs helps clients get a feeling for how design and structure come together in balancing form. Most of these designs are easily built and offer a variety of approaches to acquire both traditional and conventional methods.

Here we have a traditional design, fluted pilasters, plinth blocks integrated into the baseboard, a recessed drop panel between pilasters, molding around the top, and a unique edge profile on the pediment. These are quite reasonable to build and look great when finished. This one is from Mantelcraft.com.

© MantelCraft.com
Here is a pre-fab from MantelsDirect.com, a very clean design but the plinth blocks have been shortened to accommodate existing moldings, in this case, baseboards which are tall enough to reveal upon through the use of a wall banding piece which is slightly thicker than the baseboard (not shown). These designs are quite easily custom made offering additional possibilities.

© MantelsDirect.com
Adding columns to your mantel can enhance the depth and warmth into your room as seen below from Onyapan.com. Here, the columns hold up the architrave as in an entablature, and above the frieze section with the cornice at the top. At the base of the columns is the pedestal. No particular architectural order is implemented at the capital.

© Onyapan.com
Again, another super clean design that look fabulous when finished. This one comes from Homedit.com. The matching of material such as the cornice molding and flat panels is necessary so that all the parts are made of the same wood type.

© Homedit.com
In looking at hundreds of mantel designs, many times you will find that what is missing is proportion, in many cases they are too wide, too tall, too much elaboration, too thick, etc. Simple often takes the cake and offers the eye a pleasing effect as seen below with wooden corbels holding up the pediment. This is from HomeDesignLover.com.

© HomeDesignLover.com
A properly proportioned mantel still throws wonderful shadows, especially if done in white. Many corbel designs are available pre-fabricated and can also be custom built. The combination of the cove and bead adds a nice touch in simplicity.

Bookshelves Surrounding Fireplace Mantels

There are numerous examples of bookshelves surrounding fireplace mantels online to view, however, many are not built to please the eye as some of these examples. A lot of really nice craftmanship even if the mantels are not integrated properly. Here are a few examples of fine woodworking inclusive of outstanding architectural design.

This first one comes from Houzz.com. Notice how the toe-kick area has a furniture feel while also allowing the feet to not interfere with accessing the shelving. This is a very simple design, but because everything is coordinated so well, fancy profiling becomes unnecessary. The contrasting mantel carries the eye while the shelving supports the overall feeling of order. Having the shelving and cabinet area built into the wall with the extended soffit and ceiling molding provides a nice balance.

© Houzz.com
Here is another example of fine integration, although the style does not seem to fit the house. Here, no television is assumed above the mantel, however, in this house that might have been appropriate. This particular style for a vaulted ceiling is a bit of mixing tradition with modern thinking while absent the pediment that would normally address the fireplace. This photo comes from Pinterest.

© Pinterest
This one is an outstanding example of pre-planning and structural integration with fluted pilasters, a keystone arch design, also including the elaborated furniture style toe-lick and matched nicely to the primary pilasters around the mantel. Maybe slightly overkill on the capital effects, looks like they just barely fit on the wall. Here, the shelves are not too long while also nosed on the front adding depth. The cabinet tops should have also been thicker to match the shelves. This one is also at Pinterest.

© Pinterest
Another example of fine craftmanship with fluted pilasters, a plinth at their base with some type of rosette at the top matching nicely to the rosette effects on the mantel. The additional cabinet on the left meeting the wall is quite appropriate for the space. The base is integrated along with the ceiling moldings. From Pinterest.

© Pinterest
Finally, here is an example of integrating shelving with mantel in a simple design without excessive profiling or elaboration, yet blended well into the room. Notice the cabinet areas are just slightly thicker in depth than the pediment above the fireplace while also not too much thicker in depth than the bookshelves above resulting in a pleasing effect on the eyes. This comes from Grafik Medya.

© Grafik Medya
There are many more examples, but I find that in many cases preferences whether good or bad often override the resulting aesthetic value expected in fine woodworking.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Bookshelves Mission Style with Window Seat Built-in

Here we have a mission style book shelf with cabinet storage below along side a window seat built-in that looks really nice from BounceHome.pro. It looks as though the cabinet space below the book shelves may be file drawers in an office space with another larger drawer below the window seat.

© BounceHome.pro

Built-in Furniture Ideas - Photos

These photos come from the Washington Post giving the reader some great ideas on built-ins around a wall where additional storage is utilized with drawers while also serving as a wall seat or window seat idea. Today, drawer glides are available that are mostly hidden and soft closing ranging in price from $50 to $75 per set. Plywood can be used and solid front in construction.

An oversized living room was reconfigured to create a functional and aesthetic foyer-like space. A tile floor accommodates muddy or wet feet. Riding boots and equestrian gear is accommodated in the custom built-in storage units. (By Geoffrey Hodgdon/By Geoffrey Hodgdon)

Here we have built-ins next to a mantle design where normally the mantle section would protrude into the room. With this style, a seamless unit is portrayed that blends into the mantle as one piece offering a clean unobstructive appearance and use.

A formerly sunken family room was raised to improve function, safety, and aesthetics. A new gas fireplace flanked by built-ins provides a focal point to the room. (By Geoffrey Hodgdon)
Read article here.