After traveling through Bavaria, Austria, and France for nearly a month, I thought I’d come back with plenty of Blog fodder.  Between Jen and I, I’m sure we took more than 1000 photos, and there’s a story to tell, and a discovery to share for each day we were gone. 

But honestly, I don’t know where to begin.  I could show you photos of the countryside, quaint castles, the Eiffel tower, but it’s about what you’d expect.  You’ve seen all of this stuff in movies, and that’s about what my photos look like.  If you’ve seen any of this stuff in person, you know that photos and movies don’t do it justice.  Not even close, really.

The most interesting things I experienced were the social and cultural differences.  I could go on about this for hours.  One of the observations I made was that the European people seemed generally more secure.  Insecurity is truly the root of all evil, and the driving force behind our ridiculous consumption, and generally bad behavior.  I’m sure when your country has centuries of history, you have a better sense of who you are.  I can only make broad, sweeping conclusions at this point, and I’m sure I’m not the first to realize this, but if countries were people, then the U.S. is definitely a teenager, and Europe is retired.  I love that been-there, done-that, self-assured, no agenda, self confidence that old people have.  I want that, and I want to be surrounded by people that have that.  I guess I know there’s only one way to get that: Time.  And unfortunately, it will probably take us hundreds of years, and a couple more iterations of the government.

Moving on…

Between larger projects, I make lot’s of small stuff.  Check out this custom cookie cutter for fellow Wu-Tang Clan Fan Devoya Mayo.  Here’s a couple photos supplied by Devoya, host of the Enter The Wu-Tang Tribute.

It is the end of my first week of a nice, long vacation.  If it ended today, I’d be satisfied.

Already I feel like a better designer, and in a way, I can’t wait to get home and bust out some new schnitzel.

I’m at a free computer in the lobby of the Hotel Alpina in beautiful downtown Gramisch (thanks Gene - this is a great place!), so this will be ALL TEXT, with no photos, or my useless hidden Youtube music links.

Bavaria has been nothing but great.  I grew up with a little bit of German culture, and after being here a week, I now realize it was really A LOT of German culture.  It’s funny that a place so far from home could bring back so many childhood memories.  We were not raised in a very ethnocentric household.  In fact, my mother worked pretty hard to point out the similarities in people and cultures, and downplay the differences.  Never-the-less, we ate a lot more beerocks and sourkraut than any of my friends.

There are a lot of things I really like about Bavaria - The food, culture, history, beer, and these ridiculously charming towns with their local castles and townsfolk in dirndl’s and lederhosen (dudes really dress like that….still).  But the one thing that has really impressed me, and needs no photos, is the Autobahn.

Driving has always been a source of frustration for me.  I’ve spent way too many hours on the phone with my friend Eric talking about how other people drive (so poorly).  Back at home, we have 3 or 4 lanes to herd commuters, and somehow, it seems to all get bogged down to the slowest common denominator.  Without going into too much detail, it always seems to come down to the fact that there is someone in the left lane (or fast, or passing lane) that should move over to the right.  That’s it.  It’s that simple  (I can’t believe how many times it’s someone I know doing this). 

And just in case you think it’s not that simple, that it’s somehow more complicated than that…Go to Germany, and drive on the Autobahn.  These guys have it figured out.  Here people drive on highways, sometimes only two lanes each direction, with vehicles driving at speeds ranging from approximately 65 to 150 mph and more (not kph!) and it works.  And after a week of driving, as far as I can tell, it works flawlessly.  Why? Because people change lanes.  Constantly.  They look in their mirrors, and stay in the left lane, until they need to pass someone.  Then they pass, and move to the right.  And unless you’re driving in the 140+ range, you’re pretty much always going to have to move over.  And everyone does.

I spent the week driving a crappy little 4 cylinder.  I kept it around 160k (100mph), and was passed just as much as I passed others.  It was great.  Not so much because of the speed, but because of the freedom…the freedom for everyone to drive atthe speed that they wanted, without being hindered by the agenda of others. 

And isn’t freedom what we’re supposed to be about?  (I know, it’s just propaganda).

The final photos of our recently completed work at Cummins Cal Pacific in Ventura!  Check out these great pics from photographer Bobby Do Right!

Check out this fantastic design from architect David Ferrin and crew at Arketype Architects here in Ventura.

This was one of the more challenging projects we’ve tackled, but everyone agrees it turned out great.

Although it may not look like a green project, but we used a lot of great new products that are either made from recycled materials, or are easily recycled when its time for a facelift in 50 years.

It’s difficult to see in the photos, but these beautiful wood panels are made from one of my favorite wood species, Vertical Grain Doug Fir (often used in Japanese restaurants and Craftsman homes).  

All of the wood products are made with FSC Certified materials.  Typically, particle board is the opposite of Green, but our laminate cabinets (White and Red) are made with a particle board core that is made without harmful glues or chemicals and uses recycled content.  The back lit walls and desk panels are made from highly recyclable aluminum and polycarbonate, so no scrap ended up in a landfill.  

I didn’t have a whole lot of design input, but I did pick out the cabinet pulls.  Since it’s a diesel business, I thought these pulls from Doug Mockett resembled car door handles. 

Thanks to Dan, Jim, and all the great folks at Cummins Cal Pacific.  We had to complete this remodel while their business remained open, and they couldn’t have been more helpful or accommodating during the very intrusive process.  If you have a Cummins diesel that needs service or parts, this is the place!

Here’s a project we recently completed for Jason Rawls of Rawls Construction.  Probably not your typical laundry room.

To begin with, it’s an unusually large space.  We built the cabinets from Beech, and made a custom dark grey stain for a modern look. 

One side of the room has a large wall of extra deep storage cabinets.  Since it’s a mud room too, there’s a shoe cabinet with glass doors near the exit door.

This client has a large collection of photography equipment, and wanted a drawer big enough to store tri-pods.  These extra large drawers are THREE FEET DEEP!

No that’s not a fridge - it’s a big dryer.  A week after this photo the client replaced this mismatched washer and dryer with a beautiful new pair of appliances.  Check out the little flat screen in the corner.  Never miss another episode of ….

This is one of the cooler parts, maybe.  They had this unusually deep void in one corner of the room where we built these over-sized, four feet deep pullouts.  Super-heavy-duty hardware means kids sleep for free!

And what’s in that drawer?  No, not that one!  Don’t look in there!  The one next to it, with the ironing board…

Making these things is way more work than you think. 

Part One - Getting the books.  You think finding decent hardcover books would be easy in this digital document world, and it is, if you want to pay $2 or more a book.  Sure $2 sounds cheap, but 15 books later, you’ve got $30 into one of these things and you haven’t even made a box to put ‘em on.

Part Two - Selecting the books.  When you look at the Book Bins, the books may seem random, but it took a lot of time to get them to that point.  After having the spines carefully removed, we separate and sort the books by height. This is important for practical purposes.  The boxes themselves are very durable, so to make sure the book spine face is equally durable, it’s important that they don’t protrude too far from any edges of the box, where they’re susceptible to excessive wear and tear.

Then Jen typically puts them together into approximate collections for each bin.  When it comes time to attach them to the bin, they’re scrutinized further by size and color, and to make sure they fit the box properly.  There’s an art to making a group of random width books fit perfectly from edge-to-edge of each bin.

Occasionally odd length spines need to be cut down.  You see this in people with short legs.  When doing this at home, try not to cut your fingers off.  If you do, try not to get blood on your project.  Oh, and I should probably have some kind of disclaimer here, and say Don’t Attempt To Build Anything At Home.  We are professionals.   Besides, this stuff really is a lot of work, and if you don’t have anything better to do than spend your weekend trying to build one of these things, you should just go watch some Chris Elliot.

Step Three -  To quote Tracy Jordan, “Blah Blah Blah, you get the point.”

Ventana Magazine is the local lifestyle here in the greater Ventura/805 area code.  Thanks to one of their articles, I found out there’s a jazz community in and around Ventura.

We like them, and they like us.  And not just in the Facebook way, as Sally Rice’s recent article proves.

Thanks Sally, and the staff of Ventana. 

Here’s a sample of some of the projects we’ve done lately.  Designed by David Ferrin of Arketype Architects here in Ventura, and built by ABLE & BAKER.  Once we get some good pro photos we’ll add them to the website.  Check out the glowing walls.  Pretty sweet.

The following is a reprint of an interview featured in The BUND, a design magazine in Shanghai China:

According an article you said you had been dreaming up how you wanted to execute your project, seeing the NASA trailer helped to fine-tune your vision.  Then what’s the most inspiring thing you find after you saw the NASA’s 1968 Airstream trailer? 

    I was trying to approach the project as if I was a designer from 1968.  This was the space age, and the idea of space travel influenced a lot of terrestrial design as well.  I imagined the Airstream as a futuristic camping vehicle for the moon, but limited my material choices to those available in 1968.  The result feels modern, but vintage as well.

During the whole project, what is the most difficult and challenging part?

    This may not be the most interesting, but the most difficult part was working on the plumbing.  The copper tubing used in the Airstream was an unusal size, so no commonly available plumbing parts would work.  I talked to a lot of plumbers before I got any useful advice.  Other than that, I can’t say I really found any of the project difficult.

Is there any interesting moment in the process?  Please share with our readers.

    The attention the Airstream received was never ending.  People were constantly stopping by as we were working on it.  Some had stories of owning one, or more often, about their parents owning one.  Some even offered help with the renovation.  One particular gentleman was once a truck driver for the Grateful Dead.  He explained how he used to keep the chrome on his truck polished, then proceeded to give lessons on how to polish the Airstream.  He really knew what he was doing, and our work instantly improved!

What’s the most special and satisfied part in your design?

    The globe.  It’s a small detail, but it’s my favorite.  I searched for a long time to find the perfect size, era, and color palette.  I purchased several vintage globes before finding this one from J. Chein & Co.  It’s difficult to see in the photos, but there is a red metal arrow pointing to a miniature Airstream.  As the globe spins, the Airstream remains stationary, as if it is travelling around the world (to Shanghai!)


What’s the biggest difference after the renovation?

    Our original Airstream was designed to sleep six adults, along with their food, clothing, etc.  This did not leave much space for comfort.  Our design will only sleep two, but there is plenty of room to work, or Yoga on a rainy day.  Before we delivered it to our client we had a party inside! (The client was inivited of course!)

How did you find all these furniture in the trailer? Did you do it yourself?

    I designed everything you see inside the trailer, and we built it in our woodshop in Berkeley California.  All of the cabinetry and furniture is Walnut, with Formica tops. There are many pictures of the furniture in progress on my blog (www.ableandbakerdesign.blogspot.com). 

What’s the principle of your design?  And we found that your team are doing “green” work, is that one of the characteristics in your work?

    I try to follow many of the principals of “Green” building, and I think one of the best ways to do that, is to design something that people want to keep for a long time, as opposed to so much of the “disposable” furniture out there, or the homes that get remodeled every 10 years.  I also want to aim for the everyday consumer, who is perhaps not aware enough to be “eco-conscious”, and may want to buy something just because it’s “cool”.  My goal is to design objects made with green materials, but are “cool” enough to appeal to the mass consumer.  I’d rather people purchase the right thing for the wrong reasons, than not purchase the right thing at all.

You and your team actually have accomplished many other projects in
different fields. Could you introduce your team and some projects to our
readers?

     My wife and partner in the company Jen Zahigian is an accomplished photographer.  Her work can be seen in magazines and galleries throughout California.
     Nick Van Anda is an amazing person.  Before working for us, he worked at a Rolls-Royce restoration shop, fabricating obsolete car parts.  He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met, and is a great problem solver.
     Phil Ebner grew up between Texas and Germany, where he was trained as a cabinet builder and carpenter.  After finishing school in Germany, he worked in California and Hawaii building homes for the Habitat For Humanity, which builds affordable housing for people in need.  Besides this incredible team, we work with an array of craftsmen and fabricators, depending on the job.  Most of our projects are in the field of residential construction and furniture, but generally include something unusual.  We’ve worked on historical projects, as well as celebrity homes.  

Among all your work, which one is your favorite?  And why?

    At the request of my Father-in-Law, I built a treehouse in his backyard. It sits high on a hillside, with a view across a beautiful valley, and is large enough to sleep myself and my three nephews.

What kind of project do you want to have a try most in the future?

    The next project I’d like to do is a custom motorcylce.  I am attracted to mid-1960’s Kawasakis and English motorcycles, and would like to build one with custom wood fenders, farings, and touring boxes.  Other than that, I really want the opportunity to design a house, a boat, or private jet for one of my clients. Most of my work has been in California, though I have also worked in New York and Canada, and I am hoping my work will eventually take me around the world.

I was at Blogger, now I’m here at Tumblr.  I still don’t really know how Tumblr works, so there are several glitches to work out.  #1, My “Hidden” links to Youtube videos aren’t as hidden as they used to be.  #2, Some of my posts are no longer in the sequence in which they were originally posted.  #3,  Comments don’t get posted  and #4, I’ve been sick for days, and I don’t care to figure out how to fix anything (that applies to my life in general at the moment). 

When I heard “it” was going around, I was hoping “it” was something really cool.  One of the negative effects of being an optimist is not being prepared for the worst.  “Why would I need a life vest?  What’s the worst that could happen?”