Setting the bar high

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In the building and design world, the kitchen is what comes to mind for many people when they hear the word “cabinetry.” At Dark Horse, we relish the opportunity to work on projects that go far beyond the kitchen, and we had a great time creating this beautiful custom bar.

Inspired by a bar in an LA hotel that the client liked, the bar we created as part of the Wesley project features grain-matching throughout; grain-matching is complicated and painstaking, but the result is well worth the effort.

The Walnut Bar

The Walnut Bar

The inside of the bar – yes, we grain-match everything because that's how it should be done.

The inside of the bar – yes, we grain-match everything because that’s how it should be done.

Grain matched panels on the upper soffit. We created a door on a pivot hinge to lead to the back of the bar.

Grain matched panels on the upper soffit. We created a door on a pivot hinge to lead to the back of the bar.

Come and see our work firsthand during the Modern Atlanta tour June 6-7

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It’s always a pleasure to collaborate with visionary architects, designers and clients. We’re honored to have our work on three amazing collaborations featured on the Modern Atlanta Architecture tour again this year.

This year’s Modern Atlanta tour includes wide-ranging satellite locations (from Athens to Asheville to Raleigh and beyond), but the main Atlanta tour takes place this coming Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

We hope you’ll take time to visit the beautiful homes on the tour, including the ones that Dark Horse was privileged to work on – the Karaga house, a custom home designed by our friends at Dencity West (architecture) and Difference Design Lab (interior design); the Olympic home, designed by Lightroom Inc. (architecture) and Suzanne Seymour Interior Design; and the Little John home, designed by Plexus R+D (architecture) and DKM Interiors & Plexus R+D (interiors).

The Karaga home

We created cabinetry for nearly every room in this unique house, which was crafted largely with rich walnut and 186 tons of stacked stone. You can read more about it and see many photos on the Dark Horse Woodworks’ website gallery and in a recent Atlanta Constitution-Journal article.

Kitchen, Karaga home

As with the Karaga home, Dark Horse work is in nearly every room of the Olympic house.

Olympic house: Custom walnut veneer bed with floating vanities. The headboard is wire-brushed walnut, finished with a clear coat.

We created kitchen cabinets and island; the surround above fireplace; floating shelving in the study; all bathroom vanities; master closet; laundry cabinets; lockers and a Murphy bed.

Fireplace surround, Olympic house (not visible in this shot: a hidden space for a TV). This is fashioned from walnut that we wire-brushed, leaving all of the saw marks from the mill. We then finished it with clear lacquer.

In the Little John home (not pictured here, but check out the MA Tour site for a quick look), we created cabinetry for the office, laundry room and master closets.

Visit the Modern Atlanta tour page to buy tickets and check out the many homes that you’ll get a chance to see. (Interested in getting a copy of the “MA Design is Human” tour book? Purchase the MA Tour – ALL LOCATIONS ticket for $35 and a copy will be yours; see the tour website for more details.)

We hope to see you this weekend!

Entryway lockers, Karaga home

Kudos from our peers: Cabinet Makers Awards

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Dark Horse joined the Cabinet Makers Association just a couple of years ago, and I couldn’t be more pleased to have had our work recognized in both of the CMA Wood Diamond Awards competitions that have taken place since then.

This year, the CMA awarded Dark Horse first place in the competition for European-style entertainment centers under $25K and an Honorable Mention in the competition for European-style kitchens over $25K.

It was especially gratifying to win first-place for the entertainment center we built as part of the Brandon Mill project. For this piece, our clients gave us a drawing and said, “This is what we want.”

Then life intervened, and my mom got very sick. My team rallied around and did the build-out without me, so this project will always remind me of her and of the great feeling that came from knowing that my team could and would step up for me.

Our clients were very happy with the final result, so we were, too. It’s nice to be able to make someone’s sketched-out dream come true.

Our honorable mention award came for the kitchen in the Oakview home, a project that has gotten a lot of attention, with the most high-profile kudos coming from Dwell magazine. We’ve mentioned this project on the blog several times, as Dwell continues to highlight different aspects of the great design and execution of this very cool home.

On a personal note, the thing I loved most about the Oakview project was getting the opportunity to work with mahogany that was recovered from the hulls of PT boats from World War II (which would have been destroyed otherwise).  It was very cool to work with wood that has such a rich history; we were able to use it throughout the house, not just in the kitchen that was recognized by the CMA.

Here’s a bit more detail on the project pulled from our CMA awards entry:

“We were lucky enough to obtain some 1/8″ thick mahogany veneer that was originally harvested by the United States Military during WWII for the production of PT Boat hulls. This project also marked our first foray into using steel as a veneer.

“Being able to turn this veneer that was originally intended to be used as a PT Boat hull into a dream kitchen was an honor.

“This project was all about grain matching cabinets and unique veneer panels. Limited pulls were requested so we utilized push to open hardware and and finger pulls in most cabinets.”

On a big-picture level, I think that everything I said on the blog about last year’s CMA awards still holds true. So I’ll pull from that post:

At Dark Horse, we’re rewarded for our work all the time, in a couple of ways. First and foremost, we make a living through the projects we build, which is no small thing, of course.

Second – and I think the Dark Horse staff would agree with me on this – we’re rewarded by the satisfaction we have at the end of a project. You can’t beat the feeling you get from seeing an idea transformed into a tangible piece of furniture or set of cabinetry. It’s doubly satisfying for us because we pride ourselves on the details – including a lot of the things the new owner will never notice.

But it’s also pretty exciting when we’re rewarded by being singled out by our peers. We’re proud to have been recognized, but we’re equally grateful to our clients. Without people who value craftsmanship enough to give their business to Dark Horse instead of making a visit to the instant-gratification furniture showrooms and discounters, we wouldn’t have a livelihood, much less an award.

Thank you.

~ Chris and the Dark Horse team

The best kind of surprise: More Dark Horse work featured on dwell.com

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We love the concept of recycling, especially when it involves Dwell magazine taking beautiful photos of our work from past feature stories and including them in new stories on dwell.com.

First up: In “How to Design with Mahogany,” posted on February 20, Dwell featured the mahogany cabinets we created for the Oakview house, which was originally featured in the story “An Angular Futuristic House in Georgia” in 2013. (You can read more about that Dwell story on our blog and see a lot of great photos from the project in our gallery feature.)

Dwell’s introduction to the February feature sings the praises of mahogany:

Every variety of wood has its own personality. Rich yet restrained, mahogany is a soothing presence. Here’s how seven modern homes put it to use.

We share Dwell’s appreciation for mahogany (as you’ll see if you browse through our work), and we’re honored to be included in this gallery.

Bonus detail: The mahogany used for these cabinets — and all of the cabinetry in the Oakview home, including a cool Murphy bed — was rescued from the cancelled US Navy PT Boat program.

Spotlight on modern bathrooms

The second instance of Dwell admiring our work enough to mention it twice is also drawn from Dwell’s original feature article on the Oakview home.

This time around, it was eye-catching bathroom cabinetry that made it into a slideshow feature.

“Modern Bathroom Design, Remodeling, and Decor Ideas” opens this way:

Browse beautiful and innovative bathroom designs from the pages of Dwell and get inspiration for your own bath tile, toilet, bathtub, bath sink, and shower

Here’s the “slide” featuring one of the bright Oakview bathrooms:

(We do need to correct one important detail on this one: The brilliant-red floating vanity and powder-coated steel top are Dark Horse originals. The sink is made by Kohler.)

Thanks for the kudos, Dwell — feel free to feature our work any time!

What wood it be? A spalted table tale

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A unique piece of Ramon wood — or Breadnut, depending on your preference — had been sitting in the shop for 18 months waiting for just the right client when we received an invitation to the 11th CHRIStal Ball, which benefits CHRIS Kids, a great organization in Atlanta with the mission to “heal children, strengthen families and build community.”

The year before,  I had created a table to donate for a CHRIS Kids fundraiser, and I decided to take this unusual piece of wood and make another table to benefit this organization I admire so much.

For those who like backstories, here’s the history and a few craftsmanship details about this table.

The next time I walked into the shop and spotted this board, I had a quick flash of inspiration: I’d make a table with waterfall edges to donate for the auction. The waterfall edge  is made by cutting a wedge out of the back of the piece and folding the table down so that the grain runs continuously over the joint. Both ends of the table have this feature.

The Breadnut tree is found widely in second-growth Central American tropical rain forests, where its presence in deep forests is considered evidence of pre-Colombian Mayan tree cultivation. The Mayans are thought to have preserved the seeds in underground chambers, probably as insurance against famine. Today, the sweet, succulent fruits are generally roasted and used to make a coffee-like drink.

Based on the amount of insect damage and spalting in this piece of Breadnut, the log that it came from had likely lain on the forest floor for quite some time before being harvested.

“Spalting” is a by-product of the rotting process. When the temperature and humidity are right, spalting can cause many different and beautiful patterns in rotting wood. The unusual coloration is due to chemically induced reactions between the wood, fungi and insect deposits, which often result in black, pink, gray and multicolored streaks in the wood.

One end of the slab had rotted away, but I wanted to incorporate it into the design of the piece instead of cutting that piece off.  To harden this section and fill in the areas that had insect damage, we coated the entire piece with multiple applications of epoxy.

The slow-setting epoxy absorbed into these soft areas as well as the voids created by the insect damage. We then sanded off the epoxy, and applied three coats of lacquer. Once cured, the lacquer was wet-sanded. Then we hand-rubbed the lacquer with pumice and rottenstone. The final step was applying a few coats of paste wax.

It was satisfying to take such a cool piece of wood that I had no real plan in mind for and end up with a table I was pleased with and could offer up for a good cause.

~Chris Dehmer

From a dream to ‘Dwell’ – and a new home for Dark Horse

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I started out like most people – getting a “regular” job that was fine and paid the bills.

I didn’t get very excited about going to work, but I guess I figured that was the way jobs were supposed to be – a means to an end.
our new home

For years, I worked in construction management, overseeing the installation of Hudson News stores and other kinds of projects.

Finally, it hit me one day that I wanted to build things, but not with sheetrock. Someone I knew wanted a kitchen, and I said I would do it. I probably ending up shelling out money on that project, but it was a beginning.

I launched Dark Horse in my 220-square-foot home garage in 2007. Soon I needed more room, and my first rented space was a whopping 975 square feet. I remember thinking when I moved in that it was a lot of space, but I outgrew it within a year.

Our next growth spurt took us to 3,700 square feet, and now, seven years in, we’ve moved to a new, 6,000-square-foot home, something that seemed unimaginable back in those early garage days.

DHNewSpace2

Top this growth off with having our work featured in Dwell magazine recently, and I can truly say – without a bit of schmaltz or exaggeration – that dreams really can come true.

It just takes a healthy distaste for a blah 9-5 existence, a leap of faith and a lot of long hours.  But all hours aren’t created equal. When you pour hours into work you care about, and you know you will be proud of the final product, those are hours well spent. And shouldn’t we want to spend our time on what satisfies us?

If you’ve been scheming and dreaming of doing something else for years but were afraid to go for it, you can consider me the Poster Boy for leaps of faith with successful landings.

To borrow from Nike: Just do it.

~ Chris Dehmer

Our star turn in Dwell magazine

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Main kitchen area

Main kitchen area

If you’re looking for proof that your creations can hold their own with the best of the best, landing a mention in Dwell magazine isn’t a bad start.

Dwell focuses on Modernist design and what it says about its mission/approach squares up with the way the Dark Horse team approaches design:

 “At Dwell, we’re staging a minor revolution. We think that it’s possible to live in a house or apartment by a bold modern architect, to own furniture and products that are exceptionally well designed, and still be a regular human being. 

“We think that good design is an integral part of real life. And that real life has been conspicuous by its absence in most design and architecture magazines. … we want to demonstrate that a modern house is a comfortable one. That today’s best architects are able to fashion environments that are at once of the moment and welcoming.”

Dark Horse landed in this respected magazine because of an amazing project we worked on not long ago: The Oakview home, a “futuristic” (as Dwell called it) project by architecture firm Dencity Design.

Dwell highlighted one aspect of our work, a set of floating bookshelves, but Dark Horse created all of the cabinetry in the house, including the modern kitchen, as well as bathroom vanities in eye-popping colors. We also built miscellaneous features such as a balcony railing, mudroom lockers, and a wall of storage cabinets in the guest room that makes the most of the space by incorporating a Murphy bed.

Solid walnut railing.

Solid walnut railing.

If you’d like to see more of this cool house, check out the Dwell article and take a look at the rest of our cabinetry work for the Oakview project in our gallery.

As always, we appreciate the support of our clients and friends.

~ Chris and the Dark Horse team

It’s always nice to be recognized by our peers …

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The island is made from walnut that was stained, distressed, glazed and then top-coated with clear lacquer.At Dark Horse, we’re rewarded for our work all the time, in a couple of ways. First and foremost, we make a living through the projects we build, which is no small thing, of course.

Second – and I think the Dark Horse staff would agree with me on this – we’re rewarded by the satisfaction we have at the end of a project. You can’t beat the feeling you get from seeing an idea transformed into a tangible piece of furniture or set of cabinetry. It’s doubly satisfying for us because we pride ourselves on the details – including a lot of the things the new owner will never notice.

But it’s also pretty exciting when we’re rewarded by being singled out by our peers. This year, the Cabinet Makers Association honored Dark Horse with two major national awards. The Dark Horse team and I believe that the recognition validates the time and attention to detail that go into every one of our projects.

We won a first-place Wood Diamond award in the Kitchen Euro Over $25K category for our Friar Tuck project, which featured rift-sawn oak veneer and required extensive grain-matching. The biggest challenge by far in the project was getting the grain on the veneer to line up all the way around the 18-foot island.

Other details: In the upper drawers that the clients were going to use for utensils, we built a secondary tray that is pulled open when the main drawer is opened. This tray is attached with rare-earth magnets that can easily be pushed out of the way to access less frequently used items.

Our second CMA award was a first-place Wood Diamond in the Kitchen Face Frame Over $25K category for the Lanbrook project. This house had extreme height changes in both the floor and ceiling as well as walls that were not plumb – to an extreme degree (probably the worst I’ve ever worked on).

The island is one of the components I’m most proud of. The floor in the area of the island was off-kilter more than one inch from right to left – forcing us to build parts of it onsite and then return to the shop to complete it. This painstaking process helped ensure that everything would be level and the unevenness would be as invisible as possible when we installed the island.

We’re proud to have been recognized, but we’re equally grateful to our clients. Without people who value craftsmanship enough to give their business to Dark Horse instead of making a visit to the instant-gratification furniture showrooms and discounters, we wouldn’t have a livelihood, much less an award.

Thank you.

~ Chris and the Dark Horse team