A House Built With Love
The house was again featured in an international architectural magazine - this time in Belgium. I ran the copy through the google translator and it is a French translation of a similar article printed in South Africa. Our favorite house is getting publicity world wide it seems.
All this attention (and the warmer spring weather too) makes us want to get busy and finish the outside very soon.
-grampa dan
Janis & I designed and built our house to suit our needs and tastes. We built it for ourselves to live comfortably and enjoy.
There is still plenty to be done, primarily to the outside before we are finished. We still need to create some outside trim. The concrete porches, sidewalks and patios are still to be poured. The landscaping isn't even started. Even so, the house is getting lots of attention. Late last year I did an interview with a writer from England who was working for the makers of our routing software. Tonight, as I was sourcing the hits to our website I found a link to an architectural Magazine in South Africa. Our house was one of the featured projects in a current issue of the magazine.
It seems that if we simply follow our passion one never knows where it may travel.
-grampa dan
From the very start of our house project and indeed long before that with our shop, interest has been intense in our property from all who pass by. Each day dozens and dozens of cars (and even a tour bus once in a while) stop by the side of the road to take a look. Many get out of their cars to take pictures. When we are out in the yard, I and the crews working on the house have answered countless questions. On weekends many folks actually drive onto the yard, curious about what they glimpse from the road. The overwhelming questions? What is this place? What do we do here? Are you open for tours?
The standard (and true) answers are - it is our personal home (the new building) and our private workshop (the large building out back). We build theme signs and environments. And no, unfortunately, we are not open for tours. For those interested in actually having us design and make them something I do offer a quick tour of the shop and studio in the interest of helping them understand how we create our magic. The new house has been largely off limits to all but family and friends.
Even so, each day someone is lucky enough to get a tour through the new building. We are, after all, still very excited about the project and eager to share our dream. In the beginning we kept plans and drawings handy for reference. Those who toured had to use their imagination a whole lot as we described in detail the many wonderful features we planned to build into the house. Now, as more and more details get added each day those who visit have to use their imaginations less and less. They can now see what our dream looks like, both inside and out. There is still plenty of work to do and many things to add of course. Over the next couple of months it will come together in a big way.
Each time we go to the bank, visit the grocery store or stop for gas we are asked if there will be an open house. People are eager to take a look inside. We have yet to make a final decision but we are thinking we may perhaps open up the house for a few hours one day shortly before we move our personal things in. It would be our way of thanking everyone who has encouraged us along the journey to our dream. The reality is a whole lot cooler than the pictures show by far! Stay tuned...
-grampa dan
Custom Design & Construction
