Parade of Homes, Fall 2011

If you are out looking at Parade of Homes this fall, contact us to schedule a time to see J Kath’s work at The Ridge at Jeffers Waterfront. The show piece is located 3715 Wilds Ridge Northwest, Prior Lake, Minnesota. These grounds are beautiful, and lots are still available!

A Thousand Words

Reclaimed walnut crafted into an authentic picture frame.

What is a Corbel?

Corbel, pronounced ‘kȯr-bəl’ is an architectural support that projects upward and outward from within a wall, and supports weight. Here is an example of a detailed corbel from a JKath project.

A Frameless Revival

What’s the best way to revive a 100 year old St Paul home? Give it a new kitchen! This transitional style is timeless and blends elements of both traditional and contemporary design. At first glance the cabinets appear to be built using a traditional inset style, but are actually built European style. This European style, or sometimes referred to as “frameless”, is a less expensive option that provides more storage space in the interior of the cabinetry.

Durability of Ipe

Brazilian Walnut, also referred to as Ipe (pronounced e-pay) or Ironwood, is an extremely dense, tight grained wood that typically grows in tropical South America. Ipe trees may grow to 140 feet in height with trunk diameter of up to 6 feet. It is one of the tallest trees of the Amazon region. This exotic wood is generally a deep rich brown color with some pieces displaying red and amber hues.

Ipe can be used both inside and outside your home. In the decking industry it is considered the premier wood material with the highest rating for insect, decay and fire resistance. Due to the wood’s fine texture and interlocking grain it offers superior slip resistance. This wood is so durable that, left untreated, it will last over 40 years, and up to 100 years if deck oil is used. In North America, the most commonly used wood decking, Western Cedar, pales in comparison. Ipe is almost seven times harder and has 3 times the bending strength of Western Cedar. Ipe decking is heavy, sinks in water and has a class A fire rating –the same as concrete. This is the main reason why the building inspector allowed this fireplace to be built on a wood deck! A deck made out of Ipe will give you decades of solid performance and beauty.