Infrastructure
Custom River Staircase
The epic modern River of Life stairs at the Roser's home here in @williamsonriverranch in Eagle, Idaho! This project could not have happened without the inspirational vision of clients Mindy and Steve, the collaborative cooperation of @paradigm_construction_co and finish carpenter @parleyperkes plus our builder maker collaborators including @holzapplecustomdesigns, @michael.james.hofer, @moderntimber, River Valley Woodworks and our dedicated team.
Plus, our followers and the community's support during the @boiseparadeofhomes, @williamsonriverranch and @EcoPoxy for their 2021 art contest which we were very thankful to have won.
This was the first staircase of it's kind to our knowledge, combining local urban rescued wood, a winding modern design, the latest lighting and automation technology, a river landing and engraved sliding barn door at the top. It was definitely the project of the year, if not a lifetime, and we are profoundly grateful for the blessing of being part of this story.
Thank you everyone for your support! We head into 2022 with hope and faith that this year will be a productive and momentous year of building our client's special pieces that will bring them joy for years to come.
Wall Art
Blue Cross of Idaho Headquarters
Our gratitude to Blue Cross of Idaho (@bluecrossofidaho) for commissioning a very special art
piece for the lobby of their Meridian headquarters! This locally handcrafted artwork gives homage to Idaho's natural landscapes with the intent to inspire and calm it's viewers.
Vibrant, wild and abundant are the mountains, forests and rivers of our Gem State and this wood and resin art installation showcases the best of nature.
The artwork was designed, handcarved, resin-filled and lit by our close collaborator Matt of Heim Design Studio (@matt.heim), and the wood slab preparation, lighting install, finish work and installation by WoodLab.
After extensive brainstorming, Matt digitally crafted the artwork for approval by the Blue Cross team. Then, he hand-routered the design into the single slab of local black walnut, layering in different topographical and tree depths to add three dimensional detail.
Next, a painstaking process of painting and pouring small amounts of pigmented eco-friendly resin was undertaken in order to "paint" the earth toned landscape, vibrant rivers and forests.
A tremendous amount of hand sanding and finishing were the final production steps, including a ceramic satin coating that will preserve the materials for years to come.
Matt then installed the state-of-the-art LED lighting behind the slab in order to provide glowing and flowing backlighting to this stately piece.
Install was led by Mike Hofer (@michael.james.hofer) of TwentyNine Consulting with help from our team and designer Matt.
We are incredibly thankful to Blue Cross of Idaho for the opportunity to imagine and collaborate on this piece of art for their offices. If you visit their building we hope you can stop by the piece and allow the art to bring you some peace and inspiration.
And, if you're interested in a wood art piece for your home or business, please message us to discuss!
Signage
Outdoor Hydro Signage
Glowing flowing water...a sign of life! Jenae and John are an inspiring couple with an amazingly successful well drilling business, @hydrodrilling, here in the Treasure Valley. Jenae has been resourcefuly sourcing new heavy equipment for their company and recently decided to lease the old Ford dealership building in downtown Cascade where they have been expanding operations.
Knowing that more than a million people pass through Cascade each year on Highway 55, Jenae knew a beautiful sign for their company could also have an impact on their business.
With an ethos that water is life, which is their company slogan, Jenae envisioned a river epoxy art piece that would be the perfect fit for the location and their messaging.
Jenae came into the shop and worked with our team including Matt Heim (@matt.heim) and Anthony Holzapple (@holzapplecustomdesigns) to design the concept, select the slabs and epoxy colors and then finalize the drawings.
We then went to work to bring the sign to life. With help from the city of Cascade (@cascade_idaho_chamber) to comply with all codes and regulations, we are happy to say that the sign will be installed today by Anthony Holzapple. If you are passing through, feel free to stop in and take a photo in front of the new sign. After all, water is life!
Anthony did an exceptional job of fabricating the massive steel frame and base, including a custom powdercoating that will withstand the elements. The electrical wiring illuminates the sign and particularly the epoxy by night for extra effect.
Thanks Jenae and John, you two are an inspiration and a blessing to the community. Thanks for all you do!
Wall Art
Stained Glass Art Piece
First of it's kind! This Cabo Mexico fishing epoxy stained glass-esque art for Tim's new purpose-built man cave is uniquely produced with exceptional detail.
Tim Eck loves deep sea fishing and knew that he wanted his man cave to be fishing themed. Since he regularly visits Mexico with his luxury fishing boat for fun and charitable events and catches marlin and Dorado, he wanted to honor the big fish in some creative way.
Matt Heim of Heim Design Studio (@matt.heim) was called upon to digitally turn this idea into an engineering reality and took the client's input further, adding more detail and intricacy to the design.
Upon approval, Matt worked with Anthony of @holzapplecustomdesigns and WoodLab's electrical and automation expert @michael.james.hofer to coordinate the design, production and lighting.
The artwork's base material is wood and CNC was used to carve out the image. Each channel is epoxy, not metal. Those channels were poured in black epoxy. Once cured, a reverse CNC was done to router out the rest of the wood. What was remaining was the "frame" of the art piece.
Matt then sealed the underside of every void to prevent bleeds from one channel to the next. The one inch depth was essential because metallic pigments need enough depth to swirl in order to cure and show it's sheen properly.
Each colored dot you see had to be individually pre-made by hand. Each wood inlay had to be perfectly sculpted and shaped to be laid into the frame.
Matt's attention to detail is nothing short of extraordinary and old-world. He is a true offline artisan as well as an exceptional digital designer.
The back of the artwork is a metal frame with LED lighting. Mike Hofer headed up the lighting design, programming and installation. Soothing water flows through the piece while the fish and sand sparkle and the sunset glows.
The art is the "backsplash" to Tim's mega indoor grill - a feat of engineering in it's own right - so to mount this flush to the wall, strong magnets were used.
When combined with the jellyfish pendant lights, reel hardware, saltwater-eroded looking stools, marlin driftwood signage and the 14-foot underlit oceanic bistro table we made, the art has a very fitting thematic home. We hope that it's illuminative presence will inspire and entertain Tim, Sue and their many guests in the years to come. Our gratitude to the Eck's for letting us bring such a special vision and shared hobby to life in this unique artwork.
Our special thanks to a truly dedicated and above-and-beyond team for making this happen!
Contact us for your own one-of-a-kind art piece.