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October 31, 2005
MONUMENTAL COLUMNS HANDLED MONUMENTALLY WELL.
The eight massive Corinthian columns at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., are among the largest interior columns in the world: 75 ft. high and 8 ft. in dia., the columns have a brick core (over 70,000 bricks each!) covered with stucco.
The building was completed in 1887 to a design by civil engineer and U.S. Army General Montgomery C. Meigs (who also served as Quartermaster General of the Union armies throughout the Civil War). Originally called the Pension Building, it was erected to serve the needs of Union Civil War veterans.
When the building underwent recent restoration, John Canning Painting & Conservation Studios were selected to restore the faux-marble finish on the eight monumental columns. Using paint, glazes, and traditional marbleizing methods, Canning’s artists executed the job while the building remained “open for business.”
Working around special-event schedules, the work was completed within six weeks by artists who also took the time to educate the Museum’s docents on the techniques used to replicate the look of turned marble.
The column is like an architectural exclamation point! Each column of the five classical orders each has its own style and personality that imparts character and tectonic expression to a wide variety of building types. And through the miracles of modern manufacturing technology, architecturally correct classical columns are widely available today in a vast array of materials and sizes. The large number of suppliers and ready availability of well-proportioned classical columns is the best evidence possible that there is a growing interest in classicism and classical architecture across the U.S. At the same time, sadly, the off-the-shelf availability of columns makes it very easy for contractors, builders, and designers to merely slap columns onto buildings like so much costume jewelry.
A classical column is not a decorative ornament, nor is it an attractive stand-alone embellishment like an ornate bronze door handle. Rather, a classical column is part of an architectural order. (The five generally recognized orders are: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite.) Although the column (and especially its capital) is the most readily recognized component of each order, it is merely a component. In fact, one can create a fully classical building without a single column in sight through the use of classical planning, proportions, and non-column elements. The canonical orders are architectural systems, with a carefully refined set of relationships that have evolved over the centuries. Each architectural order is the result of careful deployment and arrangement of all the order’s components, from the largest column to the smallest molding, according to a range of generally accepted principles. Contrary to popular belief, there is no single set of formulas or ratios that can be automatically applied to each order. Instead, there is a range of proportions and relationships that can only be fully understood, and skillfully manipulated, after considerable study and practice.
Even though it is merely one of numerous components of an architectural order, the fact remains that the column is the most conspicuous element of each order; most people look to the column capital for quick identification of a classical order. And, in truth, columns are the “stars” of the orders because of the way they stand out. (Some observers have called the Doric Order the most perfectly balanced order because the relatively modest Doric column doesn’t automatically focus all of the viewer’s attention on the column capital — as is frequently the case with the Ionic and Corinthian.) Because of their starring role, when a designer uses columns, it’s critical that (1) the column be architecturally correct; and (2) the column be set into an architecturally appropriate context. An architecturally correct column is one that has the general modeling and proportions evolved over centuries of use in the Greco-Roman world. A true classical column is an anthropomorphic shape, often referred to as an analog of the human form, with a clearly defined head and foot: If you mount a Corinthian column upside down, the result looks absurd even to the most untrained observer. This need for specific vertical orientation is what differentiates the column from a post: A post can be turned end-for-end without anyone being the wiser. A crucial part of the modeling of the classical column is its entasis, the subtle curvature that causes the column to swell at the bottom, as if to express the load that it is bearing. The lack of entasis on extruded aluminum “columns” is why they look so lifeless in place. Because of the extrusion technology used in their manufacture, extruded aluminum “columns” have a uniform diameter throughout their length. An extruded aluminum “column” is actually a post, because the shaft can be turned upside down and — without entasis — it will look exactly the same.
Without belaboring the point, it should be noted in passing that authors and designers since the Renaissance have been taking the anthropomorphic shapes of classical columns and assigning them “personalities.” The Doric and Tuscan shapes are often thought of as sturdy and muscular, and as such Doric columns are frequently assigned the “heavy lifting” job at the bottom level when orders are stacked, or when there is a visually heavy load to be borne. The Ionic column, being the slenderest of the classical columns, is thought to be the most feminine, with the sensuous curves of the Ionic volute being a highly stylized representation of flowing hair. The Corinthian column is seen as the most sophisticated and dignified of the orders, and thus is often found in major public buildings like banks and courthouses.
Posted by huligar at 07:30 AM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2005
Goldsworthy's "Stone Light Drawings"
(United States-San Francisco) Haines Gallery is honored to announce a new exhibition by British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy that will continue through November 26, 2005. This exhibition will consist of two associated site-specific installations of glass and stone which both investigate properties of line and light. In addition, the artist will display a very select number of photographs of ephemeral works. 
Viewers will be surprised to see the walls of Haines Gallery opened up to reveal soot drawings on glass installed to transmit natural light from the outside. Similar to the antiquarian cliché verre process, these drawings are created using a blowtorch on glass - the soot allows signature forms related to natural phenomena to be etched on the glass using the stalk of a leaf. Translucent, splitting the backlight into sun and shadow, these glass plates reveal a cyclical renewal and revival.
Other works in the exhibition will echo Goldsworthy's commissioned work at the new de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, entitled Drawn Stone, where he has created a floor sculpture using pavers that have been broken and repositioned to form a cracked line. This drawn stone gracefully leads the viewer into the main entrance of the museum. Along its path, the crack bisects large rough-hewn stone boulders that serve as seating for museum visitors. Goldsworthy sees the permanent installation as a way to "encourage the social aspect of the site" and says of his process "cracks have always been a way of reaching below the surface of a material - a way of entering a stone and a release of the energy contained within."
The sculptural installations at Haines Gallery will also be created using Appleton Greenmoor Sandstone from Britain. Utilizing a rather unexpected material for the medium of drawing Goldsworthy will create a number of sculptural cracked line drawings attached to the wall of the gallery.
Goldsworthy has produced over 70 commissions for institutions and collections throughout the world including the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh; The Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Stanford University, California; Jewish Heritage Museum, New York City, and, more recently, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.
Mountain and Coast Autumn into Winter, an exhibition of Goldsworthy photographs and sculptures organized by Haines Gallery, recently completed a highly successful four-year, eight-city tour of the US. The critically acclaimed and extraordinarily popular documentary Rivers and Tides is available on DVD as is Goldsworthy's most recent monograph, Passage (Harry N. Abrams Inc.), both of which were released late last year.
Goldsworthy's permanent commission at the new de Young Museum will be included in a special publication of the de Young newsletter in October when the museum opens to the public.
Haines Gallery
49 Geary Street, Suite 540
San Francisco, CA 94108
Posted by huligar at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2005
Chinese Trade Team In Pakistan
KARACHI: A two members Chinese delegation of stone and marble sector is arriving here today (Saturday) to finalize the buying deal of granite and marble products with the All Pakistan Marble Industries Association (APMIA). Sanaullah Khan, the chairman of APMIA said this on Friday.
He said ChuShang Wang, vice president of Xishi group development company limited, Beijing, is leading the Chinese trade delegation.Mr. Khan said Chinese trade team during stay in the country will hold talks with the representatives of APMIA. He said the Chinese team would also visit to the manufacturing sites in order to assess the quality and the capacity of the manufacturing units in Pakistan. He said another Chinese delegation of Best Cheer Stone Group, led by Park Hyeng Woo is coming to visit Pakistan in the mid April.He said a seven members delegation of APMIA, which attended Stonetech 2005 fair in Beijing, held from March 14 to 16, had held talks with the three leading Chinese industrial groups during its stay.
He said during stay in China, the APMIA representatives also visited leading Chinese marble and stone machinery manufacturing companies and held fruitful talks for import of machinery on cheaper rates than other marble and granite machinery manufacturers of EU countries.Mr. Khan said Su Qiuqian of Shengda Machinery Company Limited, Jinjiang, Fujian China has also offered them to become as the sole agents in Karachi for the promotion of their products in Pakistan.He said Pakistan and China are likely to make a major headway in promoting their economic ties during premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Islamabad early April.He hoped that besides formal agreements, the two governments would also establish a Free Trade Area (FTA) in order to give boost to their bilateral cooperation in the economic sector including excavation of granite and marble quarries in the country.
Posted by huligar at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2005
Counters Steal The Show In Kitchen Makeover Designs
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
It wasn’t all that long ago that kitchen counters were strictly utilitarian. Counters were a staging point for meals and that was about it. Materials were cheap and choices sparse.
Today, the $170 billion renovation market is undergoing a counter craze.
With kitchens the hub of daily life and entertaining, decor aficionados look for on luxuriant solid surface and stone countertops as their best foot forward in kitchen makeovers.
“Counters have gained importance as activities shift to the kitchen,” says Ginguei Ebnesajjad, director of product styling for DuPont Corian and Zodiaq countertops.
“In the old days, people re-did kitchens strictly for resale value, but now they’re saying ‘I want to do this for me because this is where I live’,” Ebnesajjad says. She sees counters as akin to a “supporting actor” to make the leading star — the kitchen — shine bright.
Where cabinets were once the starting point for overall kitchen design, many homeowners now plan around their countertop choice. And those choices have grown in number and variety. Laminates have been joined by stone, engineered materials and even wood to present more options than ever for consumers.
What you choose should be based on budget, style of living and maintenance issues. Solid surface materials are largely maintenance free and color palates have grown steadily to more than 150 color options, including derivatives of highly popular concrete surfaces. Damage to these solid surfaces can be sanded out and the resin-coated surfaces won’t need sealing. And unlike stone, Ebnesajjad says solid surfaces have a 10-year transferable warranty.
At the other end of the spectrum are natural stones such as granite and marble. Consumer Reports magazine cited granite with the highest number of excellent ratings of any counter surface. But granite is not as readily repaired as its manufactured brethren and needs to be sealed at least twice a year. Marble has its share of adherents, too, but the surface is quite porous so the frequent use of sealants is a must.
Many time-strapped homeowners are keenly aware of the need for reduced maintenance. Ebnesajjad says “ease of maintenance and less cleaning are way up on the must-have list for homeowners.”
On the plus side of granite is natural veining that lends a unique look. According to the Marble Institute, a trade industry group that promotes natural stones, granites are, technically speaking, igneous rocks derived from molten magma. Granite takes color from feldspar, the predominate mineral. The stone has hues from black to pink to white, and even reds, which are becoming more available.
It’s advisable to see how granite samples look against the available light and other material colors in your kitchen. Granite vendors will gladly loan or rent samples to take home.
The Granite Institute says current prices are at the lowest ebb in the past 10 to 15 years, in part due to the growth in Asian imports and retail pressures from solid surfaces. Consumers in most markets can expect to pay from $45 to $75 per square foot, installed, for both products.
But, according to Ebnesajjad, the line between manufactured solid surfaces and stone is beginning to blur. Solid materials such as Zodiaq are more than 90 percent natural stone mixed with resins, and companies are creating a more natural “random type of look and texture,” says Ebnesajjad. Until recent manufacturing breakthroughs, solid surfaces were uniform in terms of pattern and texture.
Expect to see relaxed neutral tones as a counterbalance to color-saturated daily life where people are stimulated to the max and beyond. Ebnesajjad says “we are all so wired and we spend so much time in front of computer screens that we are looking for white space” where people can relax. The backdrop in kitchens, she says, “needs to be soothing, not stimulating.”
Posted by huligar at 06:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2005
New Uses for Old Things
A few years ago, Ms. Drysdale owned an 1824 stone home on a farm in Lancaster, Pa., where she came to love irregular and imperfect things. "They are perfect in another way," Ms. Drysdale says. "Instead of looking for the slickest plaster and skin coating over drywall, the surfaces would be rough, worn and uneven. There is a beauty in that."
The end tables in June Shea's Fairfax Station home are an old sewing basket and a toy chest. She says she sees hidden potential in things.
Finding new uses for old items is part of the eclectic "American country" design that has become popular with many people, says the owner of Shea Studio Interiors in Springfield.
"People want to take the old and incorporate things that are new and fresh," Ms. Shea says. "If they have a house that is old, or pieces that are old, they want to respect the integrity of those pieces and that house, but they want to bring it into the 21st century, where they live."
American country design is all about personal style. The hallmarks of the trend are creating a home that's causal, livable and relaxed.
In contrast, French country design is feminine and floral, Ms. Shea says.
"With American country, there is more freedom to put your own input on it," Ms. Shea says. "French country is more 'matchy-matchy' with chairs with curved backs and coordinated fabrics."
Antiques make up the heart of any American country setting, says Michael Ogle, interior designer with American Garage Antiques and Design in Los Angeles.
They usually are one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces, he says. Some key features in country furniture are dramatic cutout wood skirts and high-cut feet.
Modern furniture all looks the same, he says.
Antique painted furniture is one of the most popular aspects of his business, he says. Many people like the cheerful feeling associated with the bright furniture. Further, the wear and tear on the objects cannot be re-created.
"You wonder whose house it's been in and who opened and closed the doors," Mr. Ogle says. "It's gone through generations. That's what makes these pieces so wonderful and sought-after."
Wooden signs, keys or folk-art objects are good accent pieces for country homes, he says. The feel of the entire home should be uplifting.
"It's more than just filling space with a nice-looking chair," Mr. Ogle says. "Each piece is almost an individual piece of artwork. It sits on its own merit."
Many times, the items in the home are connected to the past in some way, but they are not limited to period pieces, says Sandra Soria, executive editor of Country Home magazine, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa.
People want to have houses that say something about their history and what they love, she says.
"?'Country' is more a philosophy than a decorative expression," Ms. Soria says. "It's much more soulful. I think that's what really rings a bell for people these days, having a home with meaning."
Displaying handmade items is another big part of the approach to decorating, she says.
The country motif is simple and uses natural materials, says Mary Douglas Drysdale, creative director of Drysdale Inc. in Northwest. Plain tends to be better, she says.
A few years ago, Ms. Drysdale owned an 1824 stone home on a farm in Lancaster, Pa., where she came to love irregular and imperfect things.
"They are perfect in another way," Ms. Drysdale says. "Instead of looking for the slickest plaster and skin coating over drywall, the surfaces would be rough, worn and uneven. There is a beauty in that."
Today, she owns a Federal-style house with a pond in Middleburg, Va., where she has a Scottish table from the 18th century, quilts, painted chairs and fireplaces.
Although it's easier to create a country design in a rural setting, it can be replicated to a degree in an apartment in the city.
"It's not about high-end, upscale design," Ms. Drysdale says. "It's about weather vanes and log tables. It's not about having the most expensive cording or drapery treatments. It's about being who we are and not just what we do."
Creating a melting pot of interesting pieces is ideal, says Katrina Swann of Annandale, who is a client of Ms. Shea's. Mrs. Swann inherited furniture from her family that Ms. Shea worked into a bedroom and bathroom suite.
"I'm traditional, and I'm eclectic," Mrs. Swann says. "My house is a reflection of me. All of one continuum is boring. I like bits of this and pieces of that."
In addition to the furniture, most of the accessory pieces are from her family, Mrs. Swann says. The bedroom is decorated with autumn colors, including soft peaches, greens and golds.
She has French double glass doors in the bedroom that open to a bathroom with black marble sinks on brass legs.
The country feel is apparent in her kitchen, where she has oak cabinets that match with a dark oak refrigerator. She has granite countertops and diagonally laid hardwood floors.
She has arranged knickknacks in the space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling. She also displays Hummel figurines and silver pieces.
"It's interesting -- until you have to clean it," Mrs. Swann says. "My kids say that I cannot get one more thing to put in the house."
Even the outside of a home can reflect the country theme, says Bruce Wentworth, principal with Wentworth Inc. in Chevy Chase, Md. The organization specializes in home remodeling.
Many homes in the metro area are in the Colonial style. Additions are often used to extend these houses. Some new homes are built to replicate the older architecture, he says.
"We try to integrate the new with the old in a sympathetic way," Mr. Wentworth says. "The architecture and interior design should flow. It can be disjointing if you're in a house of historical character and walk into a house that's decorated differently."
By Jen Waters
Posted by huligar at 07:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2005
BATHED IN LUXURY
The Shower Gets An Upgrade To A Design Element
In addition to upgrading with heat, homeowners are upgrading materials. The Wamphassuc Point shower is composed of the old bathroom staple, marble, although in this case it's been upgraded to Carrera.
“The trend I'm seeing is the bathroom as a rejuvenating place,” says architect Michael McKinley of Michael McKinley and Associates, LLC in Stonington. “You spend enough time in there, it should be healthy and psychologically rejuvenating.”
To that end, people are moving away from the once-ubiquitous porcelain tub with a curtain or sliding glass door to close it off and choosing instead to create showers that are sanctuaries. One such shower is a wet room.
All the rage in Europe, a wet room is basically a bathroom where there is no real separation between the shower and the rest of the room. There might be a short (usually glass) wall between the shower area and the toilet, but no doors and no curtains. It's a fully waterproofed bathroom without enclosures.
Says McKinley, “We did one not too long ago. It is a wonderful space because it really is a room instead of a compartment. But it has to be oversized to work as a wet room because, without a door, the direction of the shower spray has to be fully contained. And to make sure the pitch of the floor is proper adds expense.”
“We haven't seen wet rooms yet, but certainly the size of showers has increased,” says Gerard Ciccarello, CMKBD (Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer), of Covenant Kitchens & Baths, Inc. in Westbrook. “Each year it seems people are devoting larger and larger spaces to the shower area.”
One reason for this increase in size is the need for speed when the wage-earners in a two-income family get ready in the morning. But McKinley says there's another reason, too.
“An oversized shower does something that's practical: it relieves the sense of claustrophobia that everyone has. I'm convinced that's why little kids don't like showers: It's three solid walls, even if there is a glass door.”
Perhaps that's why he built a roomy shower with two glass doors at a house on Wamphassuc Point Road in Stonington. The doors are tempered glass with cool hardware that gives the bather the ability to open the door in either direction: in or out. When it opens in, the handle on the outside becomes a towel bar, so there is no need to step out of the shower to reach a towel.
“The two doors are an element of design. The second door was not needed for access, but who cares?” laughs McKinley. “That shower is not your average shower. The real motive behind it was just to have a fun shower that made you feel healthy and invigorated, instead of just being a practical thing to get the dirt off.”
Its wonderful U-shape points to another trend in shower design. Rectangles and squares aren't a homeowner's only choice, as circles, triangles, labyrinths and many custom shapes become available. And because showers are roomier, there are more places to put things like niches to hold soap and shampoo as well as some other built-in features.
“It's very nice to have a shower with a seat in it, even if it's just to put things down on,” says McKinley. “Like the kitchen, a shower needs some landing zone.”
And some landing zones are more cozy than others.
Says Ciccarello, “We've been seeing benches for a while, but now they are heated benches. People are heating floor tiles and taking it right up to the bench. You want to walk on warm tiles, so why not sit on them too?”
In addition to upgrading with heat, homeowners are upgrading materials. The Wamphassuc Point shower is composed of the old bathroom staple, marble, although in this case it's been upgraded to Carrera.
Anthony Vitti of Anthony Vitti Associates in Clinton says, “Cool trends are natural stone such as tumbled marble, granite and limestone, which create a classic, timeless room that will never go out of style. I have to say that ceramic tile has made a huge comeback due to advances in the way that they're made and the fact that many now look like natural stone, but are much easier to maintain.”
McKinley and Ciccarello also sing the praises of granite and limestone, as well as synthetic stones, slate, metal tiles and glass tiles.
When it's tile, says Ciccarello, “We're seeing people using smaller tile, whether throughout a wall or just in an accent feature. And multiple sizes of tile in multiple patterns. You can add some interest to a space by altering the direction the tile is in.
“For instance, if there's 12-by-12 tile on the floor, we might carry that up about two-thirds of the way up the wall, then use a 6-by-6 tile on the diagonal in the last one-third of the space. It makes the shower a focal point of the bathroom.”
And that's the whole point of the new trend in showers.
Says McKinley, “It unravels what we think of as the bathroom. There was always so much repetition, as opposed to the living room or bedroom, which you furnish with stuff that means something to you. Like kitchens, they're being de-institutionalized; there's a parallel trend in the bathroom where things are functional but also have character.
“And the shower has become a design element in the bathroom as much as a mirror or vanity.”
By EILEEN JENKINS
Posted by huligar at 04:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 25, 2005
HULIGAR STONE COUNTERTOP RESTORATION TRAINING
Experience countertop restoration first hand with instructors, Josveek Huligar of Huligar Stone Restoration and Michael Meyer of Stonehenge.
Your three-day course will be packed with skills training that can only be learned through a true hands-on experience. One on one tutoring based on your individual skill level. Each student has the opportunity to perform multiple repairs and polish various types of stones. No seats. No stories. No sales pitch.
Learn how to make repairs and seams look and feel like a natural product, remove scratches, factory blending, chip repairs, color blending and matching, seam repairs, honing, and the widely coveted knowledge of top polishing.
Successful participants receive not only the knowledge, but also a complete set of tools necessary to perform typical surface repairs.
Time: October 25th - 27th 2005, from 9am-5…ish
Place: 130 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, New York 11788
Cost: $1,600.00 us dollars
Registration Ends: October 14, 2005
Click Here To Sign Up Now
Preferred Accommodations: The Sheraton Hotel. 110 Motor Parkway Hauppauge, NY 11788. Call 1-631-231-1100 for directions from the airports and for lodging.
For more information and to RSVP, Please call 1-866-865-2897 or visit www.huligar.com.
Click the link below and see what a few of our students had to say.
Posted by huligar at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)
October 24, 2005
Key Oxygen Source Found in Rocks on Moon
By Philip Chien
SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Observations by the Hubble Space Telescope have detected rocks on the moon that NASA officials say can be used easily to create oxygen.
The discovery of rocks containing the mineral ilmenite might help lunar exploration by providing astronauts with a source of oxygen.
"The results are going to help us answer key questions when it comes to the moon," said NASA scientist Michael Wargo. "Questions about the physics and chemistry of the moon and also its evolution. But it's also going to be important to us as we plan to go back to the moon."
Scientist Jim Garvin added: "Resources are things we can use to live off the land. Most important is easily or readily extracted oxygen from lunar materials. All rocks contain oxygen, but the most easily liberated are what we're after."
Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys, which was installed on Space Shuttle Columbia's last successful mission in March 2002, used ultraviolet photography to take 60 "snapshots" of the moon over several days in August.
Hubble is designed to view objects in the distant universe that are effectively motionless. In contrast, the moon, a quarter-million miles from Earth, moves across the sky and Hubble had to rotate to track it.
The three sites studied were the Hadley Rille and Taurus-Littrow regions, which Apollo astronauts visited in 1971 and 1972, as well as the Aristarchus crater.
"We're going to look at the moon and really play a game I like to call 'CSI does the moon' through Hubble," Mr. Garvin said. "We're going to try to do forensic science using places on the moon we know, two of the Apollo sites particularly noteworthy for their soils. We looked at those as our ground truth."
Hubble's ultraviolet cameras were configured to look for specific chemicals, and the observations match the chemical analysis of the rocks that Apollo brought back from the moon.
Ilmenite is a compound of titanium, iron and oxygen.
"Ilmenite is special in the sense it's relatively easy to break it apart to get to the oxygen," said Mark Robinson, a professor at Northwestern University. "You want to utilize resources that are there to bring down the cost of going to the moon."
A 1977 NASA-sponsored study showed how a solar furnace can be used to heat ilmenite to a high enough temperature to release its oxygen. That oxygen can be used for the air the astronauts breathe or can be combined with hydrogen launched from the Earth to create water.
In 2008, a robotic spacecraft, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, is scheduled to be put into the moon's orbit. It will include instruments designed to measure the moon's chemical composition and verify the Hubble observations.
NASA officials have said they plan to send manned craft back to the moon by 2018.
Posted by huligar at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2005
Treasures From the Royal Tombs of Ur
By David Bonetti
POST-DISPATCH VISUAL ARTS CRITIC
10/23/2005
Great Lyre from the "King's Grave", 2500 BC; gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shell, bitumen, and wood
Some of the unearthed objects are fabulous - rich in gold, ivory, carnelian and lapis lazuli, the ultimate luxury stone, finely crafted into naturalistic and stylized images of animals and humans and into utilitarian and decorative objects. The jewelry is stupendous. Queen Puabi and her attendants were buried adorned for the ages with luxurious stone, gold and silver necklaces, earrings, crowns and belts. What a way to go.
Nebuchadnezzar and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Hammurabi, giver of laws. Abraham, patriarch of the Jews. These are some of the legendary historical figures that lived in the ancient land between the rivers, the cradle of civilizations.
This is where the Garden of Eden bloomed; where the Tower of Babel was built; where language was first given written form; where the first cities rose in the canal-laced plains between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; where the story of Gilgamesh, the oldest epic, was written down, by the first author whose name has been remembered - Shin-eqi-unninni.
This is ancient Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq, where history again is happening, although circumstances there today prevent us from thinking of it as the site of a garden, especially an Edenic one.
In a timely move, the St. Louis Art Museum is showing an extraordinary collection of antiquities excavated from the Royal Tombs of Ur. The principal city of Sumer, about 250 miles south of Baghdad, Ur had a population of 200,000 at its height. A city of merchants and bureaucrats, temples and towers, it was the place where an immense ziggurat was built more than 4,000 years ago that gave birth to the myth of the Tower of Babel.
The site was excavated between 1922 and 1934 by a team led by Leonard Woolley for the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania. The materials discovered were equally shared between the Iraqi government and the two institutions sponsoring the dig, which then equally divided their share between them. The work in the show comes from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, which has organized the exhibition for a lengthy national tour.
Mass-suicide burial
Woolley's discovery of the Royal Tombs, particularly the untouched tomb of Queen Puabi, is considered by archaeologists to be equaled only by the 1922 discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in Egypt. News of its finding made the front page of The New York Times and brought Woolley a knighthood, but it failed to enter the popular imagination to the same degree as King Tut's.
Too bad. Some of the unearthed objects are fabulous - rich in gold, ivory, carnelian and lapis lazuli, the ultimate luxury stone, finely crafted into naturalistic and stylized images of animals and humans and into utilitarian and decorative objects. The jewelry is stupendous. Queen Puabi and her attendants were buried adorned for the ages with luxurious stone, gold and silver necklaces, earrings, crowns and belts. What a way to go.
The central fact to acknowledge here is that this is not a showroom for ancient luxury goods but artifacts drawn from a 4,5000-year-old grave.
And the hardest fact for moderns to get around is that when the queen was buried, she took her attendants with her in order to serve her in the afterlife. In death, Puabi was arrayed in a flamboyant headdress of gold wreaths, hair rings, ribbons and an extraordinary gold comb that rose above her head bearing seven golden rosettes - the ensemble is so big that archeologists theorize she would have had to wear a bulky wig to accommodate it.
Puabi was surrounded in the moments after her interment with a retinue of walkers and maids all decked out in finery of comparable luxury, playing gold-embellished lyres, singing, reciting verse until the fateful moment when they drank poison out of a small ceramic vessel.
Outside the tomb, in the death pit, male guards also died with the queen, taking with them the oxen that carried her and her maids to the tomb. (The exhibition includes a lurid illustration of the death scene prepared by the Illustrated London News that has not been publicly shown until now because it was judged to be too gruesome for sensitive natures.)
The tomb also included vessels made of stone, silver, gold and copper filled with food so those entombed would have enough to eat through eternity and to propitiate any evil forces that might force their way into the sanctum.
In the catalog, exhibition curator Richard Zettler writes that similar mass-suicide burial practices were practiced in the ancient world at different times by Egyptians, Nubians, Africans, Scythians, Chinese, Meso-Americans and Andeans.
Short, fat, half-naked men
The exhibition features a number of extraordinary objects.
Sidney Goldstein, the art museum's curator of ancient and Islamic art, has installed in the first gallery a calcite sculpture of what he calls "the little man." Commissioned by prosperous merchants to represent themselves, such sculptures were placed in temples near images of the gods that protected the city. Although they came in a variety of styles and sizes, the most characteristic figures were squat and bald with large eyes inlaid with lapis lazuli. They tend to hold cups containing offerings to the gods. Naked above the waist, the figures typically wore layered feathered skirts. To our eyes, the effigies have a comic look, but they were not meant to be funny. This is the only object in the show not from the royal tomb. Goldstein says he wanted to start off with a representation of the world of the living.
Two spectacular objects from the tomb dominate the penultimate gallery.
The enormous reconstructed "Great Lyre From the 'King's Grave' " features two original objects - a gold and lapis lazuli bull head and a plaque made of shell and bitumen. Sumerian artists excelled at representing animals, and there are a number of outstanding bull and lion heads in the exhibition. This large golden image with lapis beard, eyes and head hair was applied to the sound box of the giant harp, staring out at the audience with a regal authority. Half-hidden beneath the beard with stylized curls are four panels that plainly illustrate Sumerian anthropomorphistic beliefs. Two bulls have human heads, a lion and a hyena walk on their hind legs, carrying vessels and weapons, and a donkey plays a harp while a standing bear dances. Even 4,500 years ago, artists were free to indulge their sense of humor.
The most famous image in the exhibition, only one of two in existence, is the gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shell and copper sculpture "Ram Caught in a Thicket." A curious image of a ram standing upright, its forelegs resting on the branches of a tree, apparently lunching on the tree's leaves, it is an effigy that speaks to Sumerians' concern with fertility. The ram is a symbol of animal fertility, and the tree represents the fecundity of the plant kingdom. Out of the ram's back juts a golden cylinder on which rested a small horizontal plane used as a table or tray. This richly colored work, almost tasteless in its excess, was not made as a stand-alone work of sculpture but merely as a table leg.
The death of a queen spares no expense.
Digging deeper
Facts on Sumer unearthed
That (really) old-time religion: The religion of the ancient Mesopotamians included three major stories - the sacred marriage by which fertility is ensured; lamentations for the loss of fertility; and the battle between order and chaos.
All of them suggest that the struggle to preserve and extend life was a constant concern for those who lived in the parched plains between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Tippling that's tubular: The ancient Sumerians drank beer, lots of beer. A hymn to Ninkasi, the goddess of beer, says that drinking beer "makes the liver happy, fills the heart with joy."
Sumerian beer was not filtered, and hulls and yeast floated on the surface of the brew. Sumerians drank socially, sitting around a large bowl with long straw-like metal tubes that penetrated the surface so the drinker could suck up the good stuff underneath.
There is a long gold tube from the tomb on view, and a tiny image made from a cylinder seal that shows a convivial party sharing the brewski.
Sumer in St. Lou: The St. Louis Art Museum's ancient-art collection is small. Currently, there are only two works from Sumer on view. One is a "little man" smaller than the one from the University of Pennsylvania museum that opens up the special exhibition. The other is a fierce copper-and-lapis head of a bull that is highly regarded among specialists.
Sidney Goldstein, the art museum's curator of ancient and Islamic art, says it is one of the finest of its type, but he defers to the judgment of Near Eastern scholar Andre Parrot, who wrote that "nothing can match the head of a bearded bull in copper acquired by the City Art Museum of St. Louis." Parrot goes on to observe that "the eyes strike a bright note, recalling the gaze of an animal that is steadily observing the scene before singling out the victim to attack, charge and gore."
"Treasures From the Royal Tombs of Ur"
When: Through Jan. 15; hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, with extended hours until 9 p.m. Friday
Where: St. Louis Art Museum, Forest Park
How much: $6; $5 for students and seniors; $4 for children 6-12; free for members, children younger than 6 and to all on Fridays
More info: 314-721-0072 or www.slam.org
dbonetti@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8351
Posted by huligar at 05:45 AM | Comments (0)
October 22, 2005
Elegance Achieved in Stone
by Michelle Stinnard
Mario Sosa of Sosa Granite and Marble recently designed his entire 5,400-square-foot residence in Livermore, CA, with the extensive use of stone materials. The kitchen, bathrooms, foyer area, entertainment center, game room, fireplaces and even features of the front and backyard, including a swimming pool, all utilize a variety of marble, granite and travertine.
According to Sosa, the goal was to take the flair of older homes and mix it in with modern design concepts, and stone was selected for its elegant characteristics. Over 5,000 square feet of stone was used throughout the residence.
The kitchen countertops, which feature a 3-inch ogee bullnose, were fabricated from Colonial Dream Extra granite — quarried by Brasil Natural Stone. The same material was used for the backsplash only an Absolute Black granite inlay — from Quantum GMS of San Leandro, CA — was added to enhance the design. “The kitchen was designed to be modern with a little bit of elegance to it,” said Sosa.
Fior De Pesco Carnico marble was selected for the master bathroom and used in slab form for the steam shower, jetted sunken tub and the floor — which also has an Absolute Black border. A total of 14 slabs of the material were required for the bathroom.
The walls and flooring in the children’s bathroom were designed with slabs of Juparana Super Classico granite from Brasil Natural Stone, and an Absolute Black trim also borders the floor. For an additional bathroom, polished Sierra Gold marble was used on the walls and tub, while honed Pueblo travertine was used as flooring. The guest bathroom features Juparana Persia granite from Daltile/Alpha Marble and Granite of Livermore, CA. Another bathroom was designed with slabs of Desert Amarillo granite for the walls and floor, in addition to an Absolute Black border on the floor.
In the study, Empress Green marble wainscoting was employed around the bottom 4 feet of the walls. “The wainscot was created in a 2 1⁄2-inch full bullnose with a 3⁄4-inch offset demi-bullnose,” Sosa explained. “Below that is a 3⁄4-inch ogee offset again. All panel walls and inlays feature the same material with an ogee edge all the way around and an ogee base on it. It is a little different than most houses are done.”
The entry and foyer feature honed Sierra Gold marble from Walker Zanger of Sun Valley, CA.
The use of stone is continued to the exterior features of the house, as the windows, balcony, columns, stairs and front porch were designed with honed Beauharnais limestone from Stone Selection of Union City, CA. The windows were created with a slab trim border, and stone planters were added to the facade of upstairs windows. The backyard features the extensive use of Turko, a Turkish limestone, which was used for pool copings, a porch and steps.
Sosa Marble and Granite installed all of the stonework, and Sosa said he ran into a few challenges when trying to get book-matched slabs that were fairly consistent. “We had to go out of our way to get them because not everyone provides book-matched slabs,” said Sosa. “There were also a few difficulties in the project when installing the stone on the walls. We had to coordinate well with the contractor who was plastering the stucco. Otherwise, the stonework was fairly easy.”
Overall construction took about one year, finishing in 2003, from the time workers broke ground until Sosa and his family were able to move in.
“People love it,” he said. “It shows a very elegant, glamorous home, but yet it is very comfortable to live in. It’s not too rich to the point where you have to take your shoes off when you walk in.
Credit Box
Stone Fabricator/Stone Installer: Sosa Granite and Marble, Livermore, CA
Stone Suppliers: Brasil Natural Stone (Juparana Super Classico, Colonial Dream granite); Quantum GMS, San Leandro, CA (Absolute Black granite); Walker Zanger, Sun Valley, CA (Sierra Gold marble); Stone Selection, Union City, CA (Beauharnais limestone); EuroStone, Corato, Italy (Empress Green marble); Architectural Stone, Plano, TX (Fior Di Pesco Carnico marble); Daltile/Alpha Marble and Granite, Livermore, CA (Juparana Persia granite) Michelle is the assistant editor of Stone World.
Posted by huligar at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 21, 2005
Concrete?...An Exclamation
Concrete is an extraordinary material that is practical, expressive, and aesthetic all at once. From a primal and formless slurry, you can transform it into virtually any shape that becomes a solid mass. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. You can grind, polish, stamp, or stain it. You can embed meaningful objects within it.
Concrete is an extraordinary material that is practical, expressive, and aesthetic all at once. From a primal and formless slurry, you can transform it into virtually any shape that becomes a solid mass. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. You can grind, polish, stamp, or stain it. You can embed meaningful objects within it.
Concrete has substance and mass, permanence and warmth. It feels earthy, and is at home in both traditional and modern settings. It assumes forms that irrevocably touch our daily lives-bridges, highways, floors, walls... even countertops. Concrete is also surprisingly tactile. Cast and shaped, it can feel like stone rounded by the sea. Textured and colored, it can echo the patina of timeworn tile. Even a modest budget can spawn innovative creations.
The malleability of this material, and the new techniques developed for manipulating it, make it a perfect option for any countertop. Because of its adaptability, concrete finds itself welcome in all areas of the home, especially in the kitchen and bath, but also in fireplaces, patios, garden paths, or water features. Concrete can also be used as a floor material with enormous creative advantages whether seeded, stained, stamped, broomed or diamond-finished. It can be a sole performer or play the supporting role to tile, mosaics, decorative aggregates, stone, wood, or metal. It is inexpensive, durable, noncombustible, impervious to decay, and also very effective for passive solar gain in the right application.
With vertical treatments, concrete gives us an opportunity to recapture some of the feeling of the monolithic wall-the feeling of substance, of protection. Walls are also a great place to explore form. A wall doesn't have to be flat or straight, but can curve and undulate. It can be textured to be rough as stone or smooth as glass.
Hopefully, more homeowners, artists, designers, architects, and concrete professionals to get their hands dirty and play. Explore the creative possibilities of this age-old material. You can make a countertop that is unique, beautiful, and strong-a countertop that expresses your creativity and the pride you take in your work or in your home.
You could even go ahead and carve your initials into it. It's always hard to resist leaving your 'mark'. With concrete, you would never have to.
Posted by huligar at 01:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2005
Ventura man chisels names of donors at Air Force One Pavilion
Nathen Blackwell air-blasts the dust off his slacks, buttoned-down shirt and tie before he descends the scaffolding. Although he dresses the part of a businessman, Blackwell doesn't consider his work a job.
Blackwell of Ventura is a stone carver who works by hand, and the 84-year-old doesn't see retirement in the near future.
"When they take me off and carry me in a box, that's when I'll retire," Blackwell said with a laugh and a wave of his hand.
On Wednesday, Blackwell sat on scaffolding he made himself in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library's Air Force One Pavilion, chiseling away at a soft limestone wall with tools he designed himself. Meanwhile, Duke Blackwood, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation, gave a media tour to about 20 people. The opening date for the pavilion is Oct. 24.
Blackwell's hands show the 43 years of labor and his grip is like a vise. His blue eyes are soft behind his bifocals that enhance his ability to see close-up, but says he can see fine without them. His frame is small when he sits in front of the towering patron wall.
Blackwell started working with the library in 2000 when he was asked to carve names of the donors and trustees on the walls in the rotunda. The letters in the rotunda have a slight gold color to them, unlike the lettering on the patron wall in the pavilion, which is set to be finished by the end of the month. The pavilion has a large glass wall that lets in natural light and allows visitors to look out onto the Simi Valley landscape. He chose not to use the gold paint this time.
"That way, the letters cast a nice shadow from the window," he said.
One of his greatest professional moments, he said, was when he was asked to carve the gray granite of Ronald Reagan's headstone. The president's final resting place is behind the presidential library. Above that, there is a marble wall that contains a quote by Reagan that was carved by Blackwell.
He has a resume that includes the restoration of actor Michael Douglas' 18th century stone bathtub for his castle in Spain to the purdah screens at Hearst Castle.
Blackwell was born in Yorkshire, England, and apprenticed as a letter cutter in 1943. He graduated into carving and started working on monuments and gravestones in Grimsby in 1952. Work became scarce in the '50s, and he decided to move to Canada, where he became a commercial artist. In 1958, he moved to Santa Monica, where he began working for the Hollywood community. He has lived in Ventura for seven years.
Unlike his contemporaries, he doesn't use machines to cut into the marble or stone. He uses tools he designed himself to hand chisel away at whatever the medium, be it marble or stone. Blackwell has always made his own tools and on a wooden box on his scaffold sits different chisels for different letters.
Blackwell flipped through a photo chronology of his work and stopped at a picture of him standing in a white suit in front of the presidential seal, taken in 2000. "I look younger now than I did then," he said.
Blackwell lifts weights every morning and has a battery of stretches he does to keep his hands in shape. He doesn't drink or smoke and eats right and orders soup for lunch every day from the cafeteria, located in the back of the library. While he admits he can get tired at the end of the workday, he has enough energy for other pursuits. He still takes time to draw and is a watercolor artist.
Every Thursday night, he and his wife, Millie, go to a senior dance in Oxnard, which is where the couple met seven years ago.
"I saw him walk in and I just went up to him and asked him to dance," Millie said. "He was so handsome."
Three years later, in 2001, they were married. Since then, Blackwell creates little projects for himself around the house. Millie is particularly proud of the panels he's inlaid in the front door.
To work on his current project, Blackwell wakes up at 5 a.m. to be at work by 7 a.m. and works until 4 p.m. So far, his work has never come with a price tag, and money hasn't been an issue for the craftsman.
"I never discussed the price," Blackwell said. "I am just very happy I can be a part of history."
The pavilion
The 87,000-square-foot building has three levels.
The mezzanine floor is a circular walkway that wraps around the plane and ends at the cockpit level, allowing people to board the plane. The first gallery tells the story of how President Reagan used Air Force One for diplomacy. A second gallery shows the history of the Cold War.
The main floor focuses on the history of planes used by different presidents. Reagan's 1982 presidential motorcade is showcased.
The bottom floor has President Lyndon Johnson's Marine One helicopter and a reconstruction of the original bar that Reagan visited in Ireland.
Posted by huligar at 05:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 19, 2005
Traditional Crafts Alive in Taiwan
Ceramics, Stone Carving and Wood Carving Festivals Draw Visitors in October Located near Taipei, Yingge has been the country's pottery center for over 200 years. The town boasts more than a thousand pottery workshops and stores many concentrated along Old Pottery Street. Running through October 23, the Pottery and Ceramics Festival combines educational displays at the Taipei County Yingee Ceramics Museum with the chance to try hands-on pottery making at any of the local shops. Ceramicists from all over the world are invited - last year Yingee hosted the First Taipei Ceramics Biennale -providing for a rich exchange of pottery arts experience. Eastern Taiwan is known as "marble country," and wherever visitors look they will see this beautiful stone. Since 1997, during the entire month of October, the annual Hualien International Stone Sculpture Festival has been drawing artists from all over the world to show their works against the region's dramatic scenery of deep mountainous gorges and cliffs plunging to the sea. The festival encompasses exhibitions of stone art at the Hualien Stone Sculpture Museum as well as carving demonstrations by master artists. Visitors will be able to satisfy their curiosity about stone carving and shop for valuable artwork or handicrafts at the same time. More than 100 years of tradition are reflected in the exquisite workmanship of Taiwan's wood carving artistry. The island's biggest concentration of wood carvers is in the town of Sanyi in Miaoli County, which is known internationally as "wood-carving country." Tea trees and camphor wood forests blanket the area and half the residents are involved in carving. A virtual open-air museum of wood carving, Shuimei Street is lined with shops offering works depicting Chinese religious figures or native themes. Since 1993, the annual Sanyi Wood Carving Festival during the month of October has been presenting the finest works of art - as well as collectible examples of the wood carver's skill - along with on-site demonstrations of the entire wood-carving process. This year the Wood Carving Museum (opened in 1995) celebrates the wood carvings of Oceania and the 100th anniversary of the great wood carver Lee Sung-lin. For more information about Taiwan and its crafts, contact the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, One East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, call 212-867-1632, e-mail tbrocnyc.@gmail.com or log onto www.taiwan.net.tw or www.go2taiwan.net
Posted by huligar at 01:00 AM
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Specifying antique lumber for flooring requires a different set of standards and expectations than those used for new wood. Here, a supplier of both elucidates the fine points of buying old wood. As a manufacturer of both new and antique flooring for over twenty years, we know that specifying and selecting new wood flooring is fairly straightforward. We can show an architect, designer, builder, or homeowner a single board or even a 1-ft. piece of 7-in. clear white oak flooring, and they can readily see what their floor will look like. Most new wood species are quite homogeneous, changing little from piece to piece; there might be some color variation depending upon, for example, whether it is a Northern or Southern oak. If length is important, one will specify custom plank; if not, the shorter commodity plank will do. A few well-placed questions about drying, milling, price, delivery, etc., and you're out the door. Simply put, it's a "no brainer." However, the scenario changes dramatically with antique flooring. How rustic do you want the floor to be? Some manufacturers, including us, will have what appears to be the same wood with two different names (e.g., antique oak and antique distressed oak). In our case, the floorboards from the former are sawn from antique oak beams while the latter are taken directly from antique boards. A floorboard from a beam will be lighter in color, with few, if any, nail holes and will have significant "bug tracks" (bugs like beams); the distressed boards are generally darker, with more checking and nail holes. Most folks will say that the distressed lumber is more rustic-looking and appeals to those who prefer a naturally darker antique floor; it works especially well in English or French Country-style construction. Ask the supplier if they separate the two types in both oak and chestnut, or if they mix them together -- you may not like the sharp color contrast if they are combined.
The Asian island nation of Taiwan keeps traditional Chinese culture alive in its adherence to the age-old artisanal ways of making crafts. Every October three towns showcase a trio of different crafts: ceramics, stone carving and wood carving.
Chen Chi-nan, Minister of the Council for Cultural Affairs,
formally opens the 2005 Formosa Arts Festivals./ Hou Tsong-hui, Taiwan News
October 18, 2005
Supplier's Viewpoint:A Shopper's Guide to Antique Flooring
by Pete Caminiti and Bob DiNello Antique & Specialty Flooring Company, Southington, Conn.
Great Expectations
When a customer decides to "go rustic," we are presented with a whole new set of circumstances. As anyone in the construction and design fields knows, building and remodeling is a game of expectations. Everyone involved tries to give the client what he or she expects in the final product -- the completed home. When deviating from the norm, as with antique flooring, the goal of meeting the client's expectations becomes more difficult. But if approached properly, armed with a knowledge of what antique flooring is and is not, one can end up with a beautiful and unique floor, truly unlike any other.
Apples and Oranges: How To Compare Suppliers
Many reputable antique-flooring manufacturers are located in the South and the Northeast, out to Pennsylvania (and probably further). But there also exists a virtual cottage industry of numerous small sellers, who make a business of acquiring and reselling "barnboard-cum-flooring," usually with little or no professional drying or milling. Some producers will specialize in a specific antique wood, such as heart pine; others will manufacture numerous varieties of antique woods. Needless to say, it is wise to stay with an outfit that has been around awhile, and, among other things, does its own kiln-drying and manufacturing. There is no grading system for antique woods as there is with new lumber. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since appearance is much more meaningful than grade. Besides, our antique oak may not look like some other supplier's antique oak. Interestingly enough though, the very things that are considered defects in new lumber (e.g. checking, cracked knots, worm holes, and other "bug tracks") are exactly what makes antique flooring so attractive. We are frequently amused to see that what one person loves can send someone else screaming from the room. So it can be a daunting task to compare, say, antique heart pine, when the names of the different "grades" range from descriptive ("Clear," "Naily," etc.) to the names of dead presidents. Brochures and pictures can help to some extent, but it is a very rare photo that will show the true color of a finished antique floor; slight errors in lighting, developing, and color printing takes their toll (just ask any owner of an antique flooring company who is trying to put an ad together). Which brings us to the question of samples.
When is a Sample Truly a Sample?
Not often enough. The very nature of antique lumber is that it varies from piece to piece, which one should view as part of its appeal. We're dealing with boards and beams up to 250 years old, which have been subjected to the elements and used in the construction of buildings. When a potential customer specifies, for example, antique white oak, we try to explain that when an 18th-century farmer built a barn on his property, generally he used the lumber available on his property; he may have used all oak, but more often than not there were numerous sub-species involved, some of which may no longer be available. It is a rare load of antique lumber that is all the same. Some suppliers may try to sort by oak species, or more realistically, by color. The point being that while the lumber may vary in color, density, etc., it should be viewed as a whole; if you don't find this appealing, staining is always an option. Failing that, you might want to consider new-wood flooring.
After we send samples, we always encourage the specifier and/or client to visit our operation and actually see a whole lot of whatever antique woods they may be interested in. We find that most people find the trip informative and enjoyable, leaving with yet more samples in tow. This works as a day-trip, but if the party is in California and we're in Connecticut, it's not very feasible (although, surprisingly, it has happened). Before we take a deposit on a long distance order, we will send numerous samples to be certain the customer knows exactly what the shipment will look like. Again, it's all about expectations, and no reputable supplier wants to disappoint (or pay for return freight).
Some antique lumber, such as heart pine, is rarely available in anything but beams, which were used to support many of the factories built in the Northeast, South, and Midwest during the industrial expansion in the last half of the 19th century. Sadly, many of these buildings are now going the way of the wrecking ball -- to make way for yet another mall. But the demolition process does put some beautiful lumber back into circulation. A secondary source of heart-pine lumber is from river recovered logs -- "sinkers" -- that went down as they were being floated to the sawmill. While this wood is free from age-related "defects" that are normally encountered when sawing a 100-year-old beam, the resulting floor will have a newer look. As with any flooring, it boils down to preference.
Antique distressed Eastern white pine and hemlock are examples of woods that, while still as plentiful today as new lumber, bear little resemblance to their current counterparts. The years of rain, sun, and general neglect impart colors and markings that simply can't be duplicated with stains and chains. Most people are aware that these are softwoods, and as such will dent, scratch, etc., more readily than other species. But we feel that the question of hardness is more relevant to new flooring than to antique. Let's face it, if you wanted your floor to maintain a pristine appearance, you would not -- nor should not -- be considering antique lumber in the first place. Antique pine and hemlock certainly will not wear out, they are "pre-dented," and most scratching is visible in the finish, to which any dog owner with hardwood floors will attest.
Form, Function, Punk
First and foremost, any flooring, new or old, must be able to support human weight and activities. While that seems pretty intuitive, it comes into play in antique flooring because we are dealing with very old lumber that might be "punky" due to rot, insect damage, etc. Ideally, you want flooring that has been ravaged by weather and eaten by bugs only to a certain extent, and you want the bugs to have vacated the premises (more on that later).
It is the manufacturer's job to cut out and discard any lumber that has cell damage sufficient enough to allow it to crush when walked on. While this increases the already sky-high waste factor, it is another mark of a good producer.
Kiln-Drying and Milling
We are constantly asked the question "Why kiln dry the wood; if it's so old, isn't it dry already?" Well, yes and no. If the old barn or outbuilding was dismantled when rainsoaked, or allowed to get wet during handling or transit (which is usually the case), the lumber will have a high moisture content.
More importantly, it will have an uneven moisture content, causing a finished plank to shrink more in one place than in another. Even properly stickered and air-dried, lumber will not usually dry to less than 15% moisture content in most parts of the country. Which brings us to the subject of bugs. According to the scientists at the Forest Products Laboratory of the USDA in Madison, Wisc., carpenter ants, powder post beetles, and other wood consuming/burrowing insects need moisture to live and work; something in the range of 15-20%.
Since kiln drying will leave the wood with an average of around 8% moisture content, you don't have to worry about the little critters crawling out of the woodwork. Most of the antique and new flooring we manufacture is milled to a tongue and groove, which allows for ease of installation by blind nailing through the tongue. Under normal conditions, this is all the attachment needed with narrower widths (up to 5 or 6 in.). Wider boards, while installed the same way, will require fasteners on the face or flooring mastic on the back. Interestingly, we have found that antique flooring is much more stable in use than its counterpart in new flooring. "Reaction wood" -- called "compression wood" in softwoods and "tension wood" in hardwoods -- is the abnormal tissue growth in trees that is the main culprit in causing warp in lumber, especially during the milling process. When straight-line ripping a piece of new oak, it is not uncommon to see the finished board go right and the edge rip head left. This very rarely happens to antique lumber. (We're not sure why, but we figure stress can't possibly last more than a hundred years or so). The result is an antique floor that expands and contracts more evenly over the heating and cooling seasons than a similar-size new floor.
There are always customers who will specify "square-edge" planking, without the tongue and groove. With no means of blind nailing, the boards are not forced tightly together. This gives the planking a more relaxed fit that is seen in most older, original floors. Of course, some means of attachment is needed on the face. Be sure to ask your supplier if he end-squares his flooring. This will not only speed up installation, but will also leave the brunt of the waste in his dumpster. A 10% waste factor is sufficient for most installations.
On the Job Site
Invariably, the subject of "acclimation" rears its head. We have found a great deal of confusion and disagreement on this subject. Acclimation is the process in which the flooring is stored on the job site for some period of time to allow it to reach the ambient humidity (which translates to moisture content) of the site. We feel that whether or not to do this depends on many things, such as the time of year the installation is taking place, whether or not the space is currently being heated or cooled (regulating the humidity), whether or not air conditioning will even be used, how your supplier stored your flooring, etc. If we deliver flooring during a hot, humid week in July and the HVAC isn't installed (or isn't running), does it make sense to allow the wood to gain moisture and expand? Conversely, we don't think that leaving the unfinished flooring stacked in an unheated room in December makes much sense either. And if acclimation is a good idea (which certainly it is in specific situations), it does little good to "dead-stack" a pile of lumber with no thought of airflow; the only thing acclimating will be the ends of the boards. Talk with your supplier to find out if his warehouse is heated and/or dehumidified, think about current and future conditions at the site, then make an intelligent decision.
Contrary to what you may hear or read, there is no pat answer. As far as the actual installation is concerned, there should not be (and if properly milled, there will not be) any difference between antique and new plank flooring. There are, however, some differences in the sanding and finishing. Some of the antique woods should never see a coarse "cutting" grit of sandpaper; distressed chestnut and pine are two examples. Sanding off the beautiful patina easily ruins antique floors -- new or original.
Then there is the "nature/nurture"question of using a stain. On some antique floors, a stain can be used to "even" the color, rather than change it. We always suggest a test corner with just a natural finish first; it can easily be re-sanded later. Lastly, some types of antique flooring may require the judicious use of wood filler. More often than not, this is purely a point of preference. We have customers who would not even think of filling a nailhole, while others will instruct the finisher to fill every minuscule cavity or dent. We have learned not to question matters of taste. In any case, the installer/finisher should discuss this with the decision-maker to be sure they are on the same page.
A.W.A and the A.M.A. We have had quite a few experiences with a phenomenon that we call "A.W.A." ("Antique Wood Anxiety"). While not yet recognized by the medical community, A.W.A. may strike when antique flooring is delivered to a job site, where the owner might overhear an inexperienced or insensitive worker say something like, "What are they using for flooring, pallet lumber?" Sometimes, after the installation has begun, a nervous owner will call us and ask, "Are you sure that this will look like what you showed us?" Our response is always the same: Relax, wait until there is a finish on it, and then tell us what you think. Invariably through our follow-up or their call or letter we find they just love their new antique floor. Old is new again.
Pete Caminiti, born and raised in New York, was exposed to woodworking at an early age by a father who was an accomplished cabinetmaker, carpenter, and clockmaker. After college and graduate school, Caminiti worked in the corporate world for several years before making his escape in 1976. He traded tie and jacket for noise and sawdust and self-employment, starting his own flooring-manufacturing business. He has looked back only sometimes.
Bob DiNello, a native of Southington, was a journeyman stonemason and bricklayer before partnering-up with Caminiti in 1979. After having worked with stone during the day, he would retire to his home woodshop at night, making Shaker-style furniture and Victorian birdhouses. He decided his true love was woodworking. Some say he is still looking back.
Posted by huligar at 08:30 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2005
Sales of luxury homes in Quebec stabilizing after years of high growth
TORONTO, Oct. 17 /CNW/ - Sales of high-end homes in Montreal and Quebec
City reached record highs in the first half of 2005, according to a Carriage
Trade Quebec Luxury Properties Report released today by Royal LePage Real
Estate Services. However, despite the record number of sales, the year-over-
year growth rate of the Quebec market is beginning to stabilize after a period
of exceptional growth in the last five years.
Across the country, the solid performance of the Canadian economy is
reflected in the strength and resilience of the luxury housing market. While
many of the major markets experienced year-over-year increases of over 40 per
cent in the first half of 2005 (as reported in the national Carriage Trade
Report on Sept. 15), sales growth in Quebec's luxury market occurred at a more
modest rate.
<<
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Quebec Luxury Home Market Summary
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Montreal
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January to June January to December
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Units Units
sold sold
Year- in all Year- Year- in all Year-
$750,000+ over- price over- $750,000+ over- price over-
units year catego- year units year catego- year
Year sold % change ries % change sold % change ries % change
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005 181 5.2% 28450 0.3% N/A
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2004 172 55.0% 28367 7.7% 325 30.5% 48564 2.9%
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2003 111 32.1% 26344 -9.8% 249 50.9% 47182 -0.7%
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2002 84 82.6% 29203 16.1% 165 98.8% 47505 12.0%
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2001 46 53.3% 25164 14.5% 83 36.1% 42405 18.4%
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2000 30 15.4% 21971 3.5% 61 19.6% 35823 5.4%
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Quebec City
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
January to June January to December
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Units Units
sold sold
Year- in all Year- Year- in all Year-
$450,000+ over- price over- $450,000+ over- price over-
units year catego- year units year catego- year
Year sold % change ries % change sold % change ries % change
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005 27 17.4% 4861 12.2% N/A
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2004 23 27.8% 4331 6.33% 39 14.7% 7584 4.0%
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2003 18 125.0% 4073 -18.1% 34 126.7% 7296 -10.1%
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2002 8 33.3% 4975 10.3% 15 25.0% 8118 5.4%
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2001 6 500.0% 4510 2.0% 12 500.0% 7705 10.3%
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2000 1 0.0% 4422 14.7% 2 100.0% 6985 10.8%
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Source: local real estate boards (GMREB, CIDQ)
In Montreal, sales of homes priced at $750,000+ rose 5.2 per cent,
year-over-year, in the first six months of 2005 to a historical high of 181
units. During the same period in 2004, there were 172 units sold in this price
category. Sales of high-end homes have experienced unprecedented growth in the
last five years, with 2002 and 2003 sustaining the highest year-over-year
gains (98.8% and 50.9%, respectively). In 2004, unit sales of home priced in
this category rose 30.5 per cent, year-over-year, which was significantly
above the overall market growth of 2.9 per cent.
While the rate of growth in the luxury market is stabilizing, it is still
outpacing the market in terms of overall unit sales, which grew 0.3 per cent,
year-over-year. Listing inventory has increased in 2005, easing the pressure
on prices and allowing buyers to take more time when selecting a home.
"The luxury housing market, buoyed by a robust provincial economy, low
interest rates and healthy levels of demand, continued to experience above-
average growth in Montreal in the first half of 2005," said Diane Menard, vice
president/general manager, Royal LePage Heritage, Westmount. "However, we
expect the stabilization of unit sales growth to continue as rising listing
inventory creates balanced conditions in the higher end of the market."
The most sought-after areas for luxury buyers include Westmount, the Town
of Mount Royal, Senneville, Beaconsfield and Baie d'Urfe. Stone facades, fully
renovated kitchens with stainless steel appliances and sub-zero refrigerators,
cathedral ceilings, and luxury finishings such as granite and marble are all
popular features with buyers.
Many of the buyers who purchase high-end homes expect to spend a
significant amount on renovations after the sale to ensure the home is exactly
to their specifications. Local executives are the most active in the luxury
market, although buyers and investors from Europe and the United States have
also been active in 2005.
In Quebec City, sales of high-end homes have continued to experience
healthy growth, with a record 27 units priced at $450,000+ sold in the first
six months of 2005. This represents an increase of 17.4 per cent over the same
period in 2004 (23 units sold). Since 2000, sales of homes priced in this
category have experienced considerable growth, climbing from only two sales in
2000 to 39 units sold in 2004 - an increase of 1850 per cent. This is
especially notable when compared with the overall market, which had a growth
in unit sales of only 8.6 per cent in the same period.
The luxury housing market in Quebec City has experienced increased
activity over the last few years, as sales of higher-end homes continue to
rise at a greater pace than the rest of the market. However, listing periods
for luxury homes in Quebec are still longer than those of homes priced closer
to the average, and generally range between five to six months.
"Pent-up demand has helped the luxury market in Quebec City sustain
vigorous growth in the last five years as buyers who had previously held off
during the weaker economic conditions of the 1990s began to enter the market,"
said Paul-Henri Everell, broker/president, Royal LePage Inter-Quebec. "In the
coming months, the province's overall healthy economy and improving supply
will sustain housing affordability and lead to slower but stable growth in the
luxury market."
Buyers purchasing luxury homes in Quebec are often looking for a property
with a view of the St. Lawrence River, a large lot and a convenient location
close to the city centre in neighbourhoods such as Sillery, St. Foy, Cap Rouge
and St. Augustin. Popular features among luxury-minded buyers include four to
six bedrooms, large areas for entertaining, patios, large garages and,
depending on the location, a pool.
About Royal LePage
Royal LePage is Canada's leading provider of franchise services to
residential real estate brokerages, with a network of over 11,000 agents and
sales representatives in 600 locations across Canada operating under the Royal
LePage, Johnston and Daniel, Trans-Action and Realty World brand names. Royal
LePage manages the Royal LePage Franchise Services Fund, a TSX listed income
trust, trading under the symbol "RSF.UN".
About Carriage Trade
Carriage Trade is a new, exclusive real estate service from Royal LePage
offering the most distinguished homes in Canada to discerning buyers from
around the world. For a property to qualify as Carriage Trade, it must meet a
series of criteria, the most imperative being location and price. The
residence must be situated in a distinctive, prestigious, sought-after and
exclusive neighbourhood or on prized acreage or land and meet minimum price requirements.
Posted by huligar at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2005
Colchester woman builds reputation in stoneworks
By Helen J. Simon
Free Press Staff Writer
COLCHESTER -- When Anita Socinski was 5 years old, she began learning from her father the skills she would later use to start her own business. They were skills her father had learned from his father, who had learned them from his father, an immigrant from Poland.
Today, Socinski, 41, is a fourth- generation stone-industry worker and one of the few women in Vermont, and the country, who design, cut and install stone at their own stone-fabricating facilities. A & M Stoneworks Inc., her 3,500- square-foot workshop and showroom at the intersection of U.S. 7 and Vermont 2A in Colchester makes countertops, bathroom vanities and fireplace surrounds out of granite, marble, soapstone, limestone and stone composite. It also does stone restoration.
The company, started in 1996, has annual gross sales of about $500,000 and two employees. It has grown at a time when the American stone industry is battling rising competition from China, India and Canada, and when smaller shops are being undercut by mega-manufacturers like Home Depot.
Socinski rarely advertises; most of her customers come to her by word of mouth, drawn by the service and quality she offers.
Owning her own business has allowed her to be her own boss, raise two sons and do what she loves, Socinski said. When she describes her work, Socinski speaks more as an artist than a businesswoman.
Amazing feature
Socinski waxes eloquent on the beauty of the rock, the pleasure of polishing a rough surface to bring out the gloss and the joy of carving perfect curves and edges.
"That's an amazing feature in itself," she said, "that the earth created all this beautiful stone and that someone thought to take it out of the earth and polish it."
She said the main characteristic required to do this kind of work -- once the stone-working skills are mastered -- is a lot of patience.
"You take it little by little," she said. "It's kind of like reading a novel that goes on forever. You read a little and think about it and how it relates to other things going on."
Socinski has built a reputation as shiny as the stone she sells. Contractors speak of the top-notch quality of her work, her skill at solving problems, her in-depth knowledge of the material, her reliability, her many years of experience.
"She pays fine attention to the details and follows through very well for us," said Jim Converse of Birdseye Building in Richmond, who does residential construction and renovation and has worked with Socinski for more than a decade. "It's just a very clean, crisp job that she does."
Dave Robison is co-founder with Scott Hammond of Clearwater Builders of South Burlington, a subcontractor for the now disbanded Three Seasons Builders, which specialized in high-end custom homes. He describes Socinski's work as "exceptional," and says she's rarely made a mistake in the approximately 15 years he has known her.
"She's smart, she understands her product and she's a good businessperson," he said.
Rich history
The stone industry has played a vital role in Vermont's economy since the mid 1800s. Thousands of European immigrants came to the state to work its rich stores of granite and marble. Granite from Vermont can be found in monuments and buildings around the country.
In the 1950s and '60s the state's granite industry employed about 3,000 people. By 1997 that number had fallen to about 1,400 and today stands below 1,000, due in part to stiff competition from China and India, according to the Barre Granite Association. Still, the state's stone trades industry accounts for about $75 million annually in sales, according to the Vermont Granite Museum of Barre.
Nationally, the trend has been for the larger stone fabricators to consolidate, said industry expert Donato Pompo, founder of Ceramic Tile and Stone Consultants in Jamul, Calif. Home Depot, for instance, has bought several of the larger fabricators in recent years, he said.
At the same time growing interest from the general public in natural stone has created more opportunities, and smaller companies are forming to take advantage of the new demand, he said. These smaller ventures tend to offer their customers better quality and assistance than the larger manufacturers, he said.
"The individuals have an advantage by being able to provide more personalized service," Pompo said.
All in the family
Socinski is one of several family members who have worked in or remain in the stone business. When she was a child, she and her four siblings tagged along with their father, Anthony Socinski, as he made and installed granite monuments. Most of her siblings worked in the trade at some point in their lives, as did their mother, Renate, who ran the family's original shop in South Burlington.
Today one of Socinski's brothers, Bucky Socinski, runs their father's business, Densmore Monuments on Shelburne Road in South Burlington. An uncle, Henry Socinski, owns Artistic Cemetery Memorials Inc. in Rutland; another uncle, John Socinski, owns Rutland Marble and Granite Co. in Castleton.
Socinski's two sons have also learned the trade by accompanying her to work. Tim, 19, wanted to follow in her footsteps, but Socinski said she encouraged him to explore other professions; he's studying computer science at a Texas university. Nick, 15, attends Colchester High School and is interested in carpentry.
Socinski did not always work in the stone industry. She studied the craft as a teenager by commuting to a stones trades class at Spaulding High School in Barre from South Burlington and apprenticed as a sand blaster with a master in her father's shop. When she graduated from high school in 1981 she went to work for a company that processed Medicaid claims and later became a secretary at what was then the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont.
When her marriage disintegrated in 1990, Socinski went to work at her father's company to have more flexibility to care for her boys, she said. She learned to make granite countertops and took over that aspect of the business when Bucky left to pursue other interests for a few years.
In 1996, Socinski said, she met a man who encouraged her to set up her own shop. She had no money, equipment, or even a car, but a number of the contractors she'd met at Densmore followed her to A & M, and with a deposit from one of them for a limestone bathroom she was able to buy her first tools.
At one point, Socinski had as many as five employees, but she said she prefers to keep the business small. She'd rather work with the stone than spend time managing others, she says, and a shop this size allows her to stay on top of all the details.
"I just want to do a quality job for people and I enjoy doing it, so it's really a labor of love," she said. "I'm not looking to get rich on it."
Being a woman in a male-dominated industry has pre-
sented challenges, Socinski said, but she finds her customers like working with a female. Over the years she's learned to deal diplomatically with male employees who may question her authority.
"It's been a little bit of a tug of war," she said of her dealings with some of her male workers.
Pompo said that while the number of women who own or manage stone-fabricating facilities is growing, Socinski is unique in that she works hands-on with the stone.
Robison said having a woman on the job site raises the men's morale and lightens the atmosphere. Socinski works right alongside the men and is equal to them in physical strength, he said.
"She works as hard or harder than any guy," he said, "and she's pleasant."
Posted by huligar at 09:54 AM | Comments (0)
October 15, 2005
Companies from Paraná join forces to export marble and granite
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Ten industries from the metropolitan region of Curitiba, the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, established Brazilian Marble and Granites. In the last two years, the companies standardized processes, invested in personnel training and in the quality of the products. Now they will have representative offices at the Brazilian product distribution centre that the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex) has set up in Miami.
Brazil-Arab News Agency
Av. Paulista 326 17th/18th Floors
01310-902 São Paulo SP Brazil
Phone: (55 11) 3283 4066 Fax: (55 11) 288 8110
www.anba.com.br anba@anba.com.br
Omar Nasser, from Fiep*
Curitiba - The marble and granite sector in Paraná, in southern Brazil, is becoming international. With their eye on business opportunities that are being opened abroad, ten industries in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, the state capital joined forces and established Brazilian Marble and Granites (BMG), a company that is establishing itself in Miami Free Zone, in Florida, USA. The idea is to make the site not only a window, but also a centre from where counters and marble and granite floors produced in Curitiba may reach US consumers.
BMG is going to be housed in the distribution centre that the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex), connected to the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, installed in Miami Free Zone. Inaugurated on May 16 2005, the Miami distribution centre offers operational and administrative support to Brazilian companies, and has an area of 1,000 square metres, divided into storage space, showroom, offices and meeting rooms. Up to now, a total of 92 companies are installed at the site. Another 130 are waiting in line. Due to the demand, expansion of the area is already being studied.
From last year to date, industries in the marble and granite sector in the metropolitan region of Curitiba have already exported over 120 tonnes of lavatory and kitchen counters, for a total of US$ 130,000. There is also the forecast of a 40-tonne a month supply contract to a buyer in Detroit. These are memorable achievements as North American customers are only just discovering the advantages of putting ornamental stones in their houses. "They are only now starting to use marble and granite," explained José Georgevan Gomes de Araújo, president of the Union of the Marble and Granite Industries of the state of Paraná (Simagran).
The two most used articles for kitchen and bathroom sink counters in the United States are still tiles and "corean", a resin produced by French multinational company DuPont. One of the reasons that caused the North American customer to prefer them was the price. The discovery of new veins of ornamental stones, an improvement in the industrial process and expansion of productivity, however, are factors that are contributing to a reduction in the price of the end product. "It is getting better priced. The middle class there is starting to consume marble and granite," revealed the president of the Simagran.
To this may be added the aspect of the economic situation in the United States. The growth is generating an expansion in business in various sectors, especially in those that are directly of interest to businessmen from the state of Paraná: "Perspectives are good, as they are currently living a good moment in civil construction," analysed Antônio Humia Dorrio, the owner of Revestimentos Gres, based in Curitiba and on the market for over 40 years. Exports to the North American market are still taking place "at a starting rhythm", but they have great chances of growth, he bets.
Preparation
The marble works in the metropolitan region of Curitiba are manoeuvring so as to surf this tide. Preparations started two years ago when Imagran, Tambaú, Margon, Marmopark, Marmoraria Benato, Revestimentos Gres, Marmoraria Vardânega, Costacurta, Dutra's Pedras and ELF Mármores established a pool of companies, which resulted in the creation of BMG. With the technical and financial support of the Apex, the partners joined forces, standardized procedures and invested in personnel training and in end product quality.
A focus on production management, unification of production processes - obtained through the use of common tools - and on an increase in the purchase volume - which guaranteed better price negotiations on inputs and raw materials - increased company competitiveness.
Being in the Miami distribution centre may be seen as a corollary of this process. It means expansion of business opportunities to levels that are currently only imagined. "Operating there is a great impulse for the company. It becomes better known and gains experience," observed the president of the Simagran. Access of BMG to the Miami Free Zone is becoming more viable thanks to negotiations between the marble and granite sector and the federal government. Over the last two years the Brazilian Association for Dimension Stones Industry (Abirochas) and the Apex have been talking with the objective of promoting sector foreign sales. It was not a coincidence that in this period the ten companies in the state of Paraná joined forces.
As it is a customs warehouse, clearance of the products for export is done in a more agile and concentrated manner. Apart from that, the fact that the product is already in the country where the sale will be made speeds up delivery and helps guarantee efficient post-sales. Another benefit is the economy of scale. The union of various companies in the same space also makes better negotiations with Miami Free Zone possible and this price reduction is passed onto the businessman and, in the long run, to the end user.
The Miami distribution centre is the first of a series that the Brazilian federal government wants to install around the world through the Apex.
*Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná. Translated by Mark Ament
Posted by huligar at 05:43 PM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2005
Foreign trade company is born focussing on the Middle East
Global Era, in the southeastern Brazilian capital of São Paulo, started operating one month ago and has as its main markets of operation the Asian and Arab countries. The idea is to provide consulting and training for those interested in exporting, apart from helping in the negotiations themselves.
Alexandre Rocha*
São Paulo - Global Era, a foreign trade company based in the city of São Paulo, was born focussing on the Middle East. Inaugurated around one month ago, the company has as its main markets the Asian and Arab countries, according to one of the company partners and directors, Daniel Andrada.
"We believe that the Arab world is a very good market. Relations with Brazil have been growing, but there is still a lot of space to be explored," he said. The company Internet site also has versions in Arabic and Chinese.
Andrada, who has another two partners, stated that his company does not only operate as a trading company, but also as an "export management company". "We develop export projects," he said. This, according to him, involves consultancy and training of their customers in the areas of legislation, taxes, brand and package customisation, and market selection, among others.
The services, according to Andrada, also involve the negotiation itself. "We generate the business, go after the customer in potential and negotiate with him," he guaranteed. The company, according to him, counts on partners in Shanghai, China, Taipei, Taiwan, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Miami, United States.
The company currently has 10 clients who operate in the garment, disposable nappy and auto parts sectors. "But we also want to start working in the areas of cattle beef and stone, with marble and granite," declared Andrada.
Apart from the three partners, Global Era has 10 employees, being four market analysts, one turned exclusively to the Arab countries, France and Belgium. "Our objective is to help in the internationalisation of companies and their products," stated Andrada.
Before opening Global Era, he and his partners were directors at Andrade Group, which includes companies Andrade Máquinas and Sansei Máquinas, producers and exporters of machinery and equipment for sewing and for the textile and garment industry.
Posted by huligar at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2005
Kitchen Remodeling
The kitchen is one of the most-used rooms in any household. That's why if you are going to renovate your kitchen, you need a plan designed for all its uses. There's no better way to get inspiration for a kitchen renovation than to visit recently renovated kitchens and get some ideas for your own.
Five state-of-the-art kitchens will be on display Sunday in the Pasadena Kitchens & Interiors tour.
Sponsored by the Pasadena chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, the tour will take you inside five homes, all within a 9-mile radius, where kitchens are at the heart of the home.
Other parts of the houses - living rooms, entryways, family rooms and home offices - will be open for viewing as well, but the kitchens are definitely the stars of this tour.
"The kitchen is usually the first room a homeowner wants to remodel," explained Christine Santana, president of the Pasadena chapter of ASID. A well-designed kitchen improvement can add thousands of dollars to a home's value; most of the cost can be recouped at sale, according to ASID members.
One of the tour homes, a 1941 ranch-style home in the Linda Vista
area, was completely updated by Michele Hughes for a young professional couple. After the remodeling, all that was left of the original kitchen were exterior walls and foundation. A marble-topped chef's table now forms the centerpiece of the newly designed kitchen. Textured beams added to the ceiling create a feeling of coziness along with a color scheme that unifies the house and garden. Two rooms of the house have been adapted as work areas and feature sophisticated storage spaces with custom cabinetry.
Linger in the rooms of this house and notice the masterful use of wall color and ambient lighting.
Designer Lori Sitz-Teacher remodeled the kitchen of another Pasadena ranch house, this one from the 1950s and located near Orange Grove Boulevard. The original kitchen contained a partition separating it from the den area. The design challenge was to open up the space, creating one great room more appropriate for California's indoor/outdoor living. Dark ceiling paneling was raised and painted white to create a brighter, more open feeling.
Visitors may examine the customized, pullout storage. An armoire, rather than built-ins, houses the owner's china and glassware because, Sitz-Teacher said, "I like furniture in the kitchen."
A Normandy-style home near Caltech offers visitors the opportunity to see how a designer's vision can completely revitalize a neglected residence. The Lion House, built in 1926, was in extreme disrepair when purchased by the present owner. English Tudor details added to the exterior and Spanish touches to the interior masked the basic French design of the residence.
Jessica Cooley and Lee Mink of Lee Mink & Associates collaborated to create a charming kitchen with granite counter surfaces in the space that was once a one-car garage. Solid maple cabinets were installed and finished with a painting treatment that required 16 layers to complete.
They replaced the Mexican tiles in the entry with stone flooring typical of Normandy homes. New French doors open to a charming enclosed courtyard featuring a mural painted from the owners' travel photos.
Visitors also will be invited to tour the spacious master bedroom on the second floor and notice the collection of family antiques placed throughout the residence.
The design challenge for Janie Fain of JF Interiors when she remodeled the kitchen area of a 1932 San Marino Spanish Revival home was to create a functional area from the small, dark kitchen that desperately needed updating. The owners love to cook, and Fain needed to find new storage space as well as make the entire kitchen area more inviting.
She added ceiling beams and light walnut hardwood floors. Hand-painted tiles were inset in new plasterwork around the window looking out to the back garden. Verde Copperfield granite counter tops on the work island are aesthetically pleasing and also provide an excellent surface for food preparation and dining.
To increase storage for kitchen supplies and implements, the designer "stole" space from the rooms behind the kitchen. In keeping with the home's Spanish heritage, all pullout storage cabinets look like doors. Now the kitchen area is functional and beautiful while in harmony with the original Spanish design of the home.
The final house on the ASID tour is a grand Italian Revival estate in San Marino built in 1929 by the team of Alfred E. Freeman and Wallace Neff. The current owners asked Jennifer Bevan-Montoya of Jennifer Bevan Interiors to oversee a renovation project that updated a kitchen and breakfast area adjacent to a new family room, spa room, bath and lady's office.
The design challenge was to bring back the original grandeur of the estate while seamlessly adding an additional 5,000 square feet of living space.
In the remodeled kitchen area, Bevan-Montoya incorporated hues of green, gold and rust, along with Italianate accessories. In the family room, custom-designed light fixtures complement a hand-painted ceiling by Randal Stokey.
What makes the ASID Kitchens & Interiors Tour unique is that the homes are inhabited.
"These aren't showcase houses," said event chairwoman Shirli Yazaki. "Real people live here and the spaces were designed for specific needs. The designers had to take into account existing possessions."
"These homes represent successful cooperation and communication between designers and their clients," said co-chairwoman Celeste Day-Drake. "The tour gives the public a chance to meet different ASID designers and talk to them about trends and design challenges."
Shopping for treasures is an added benefit of the tour. Nineteen retail design boutiques will be featured on the street outside one of the homes.
Posted by huligar at 07:21 AM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2005
Italy fights for its market position
EU countries most important sales market
According to the Italian industry report »Stone Sector 2004«, Italian exports in 2004 rose by 8.4 % over 2003 to 4.7 million t, an increase of 3.2 % in value. Despite this rise, the situation of the Italian natural stone producers is still not rosy. The main reason for this is the price decay on the international markets – especially in Germany, the most important single market within the EU. In North America, Italian exports to the USA and Canada grew distinctly despite the weak dollar (+16.4 % in quantity and +13.4 % in value).
High growth rates in the Far East, too: China alone purchased almost half of last year’s exports of rough blocks, rough slabs and other semi-finished products (+22 % in quantity, +15.5 % in value). Good results were also achieved in Brazil, India and Turkey. In the Middle East, however, where the international competition is particularly strong, the downward trend continued (–25 % in value, –22.3 % in quantity). Supplier countries like Egypt, Syria, Jordan and the Lebanon, who do not bill in expensive euros, have a substantial market advantage there.
On the whole, the 25 EU countries continue to remain by far the most important sales market for Italy. Here the statisticians determined export growth of 15.3 % in quantity and 5.2 % in value between 2003 and 2004. The quantity of natural stone imported to Germany from Italy increased by 10 %, but the value of this decreased by 0.2 %. Great Britain, France and Spain registered the highest growth rates in 2004. Outside the EU, Switzerland remains Italy’s most important sales market in Europe (+11.1 % in quantity and +6.6 % in value), but Russia, Croatia and Turkey are becoming increasingly important
customers. Overall, exports to non-EU countries in 2004 rose by 11.8 % in quantity and 13.8 % in value.
Posted by huligar at 01:27 PM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2005
Hindu Moslem Co-evolution
The lake was enlarged and structurally contained during the leadership of the fourth Sikh Guru (Ram Dass, 1574-1581), and during the leadership of the fifth Guru (Arjan, 1581-1606), the Hari Mandir, or Temple of God was built. Peace returned to the Hari Mandir.
During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), Hari Mandir was richly ornamented with marble sculptures, golden gilding, and large quantities of precious stones.
Originally, a small lake in the midst of a quiet forest, the site has been a meditation retreat for wandering mendicants and sages since deep antiquity. The Buddha is known to have spent time at this place in contemplation. Two thousand years after Buddha's time, another philosopher-saint came to live and meditate by the peaceful lake. This was Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh religion. After the passing away of Guru Nanak, his disciples continued to frequent the site over the centuries. It became the primary sacred shrine of the Sikhs.
Sikh pilgrims at the Golden Temple, Amritsar, India 
The lake was enlarged and structurally contained during the leadership of the fourth Sikh Guru (Ram Dass, 1574-1581), and during the leadership of the fifth Guru (Arjan, 1581-1606), the Hari Mandir, or Temple of God was built. From the early 1600s to the mid 1700s, the sixth through tenth Sikh Gurus were constantly involved in defending both their religion and their temple against Moslem armies. On numerous occasions, the temple was destroyed by the Moslems, and each time was rebuilt more beautifully by the Sikhs. From 1767 onwards, the Sikhs became strong enough militarily to repulse invaders. Peace returned to the Hari Mandir.
The temple's architecture draws on both Hindu and a Moslem artistic style yet represents a unique co evolution of the two. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), Hari Mandir was richly ornamented with marble sculptures, golden gilding, and large quantities of precious stones. Within the sanctuary, on a jewel-studded platform, lies the Adi Grantha, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. This scripture is a collection of devotional poems, prayers, and hymns composed by the ten Sikh gurus and various Moslem and Hindu saints. Beginning early in the morning and lasting until long past sunset, these hymns are chanted to the exquisite accompaniment of flutes, drums, and stringed instruments.
Echoing across the serene lake, this enchantingly beautiful music induces a delicate yet powerful state of trance in the pilgrims strolling leisurely around the marble concourse encircling the pool and temple. An underground spring feeds the sacred lake. Throughout the day and night, pilgrims immerse themselves in the water, a symbolic cleansing of the soul rather than an actual bathing of the body. Next to the temple complex are enormous pilgrims' dormitories and dining halls where all persons, irrespective of race, religion, or gender, are lodged and fed free of charge.
Hari Mandir, Amritsar, India
The original name for the first ancient lake was Amritsar, "pool of ambrosial nectar.” Then, it was the temple complex. Still later, it was the surrounding city. Looking deeply into the origins of this word amrit, we find that it indicates a drink of the gods, a rare and magical substance that catalyzes euphoric states of consciousness and spiritual enlightenment. With this word, we have a very clear example of the spirit, power, or energetic character of a particular place becoming encoded as an ancient geographical place name. The myth is not just a fairy tale. It reveals itself as a coded metaphor if we have the knowledge to read the code: The waters of Amritsar flowing into the lake of the Hari Mandir were long ago - and remain today - a bringer of peacefulness.
Posted by huligar at 08:14 PM | Comments (0)
October 10, 2005
Talent Carved In Stone
Chris Springsteen
The Enquirer
John Hoskin began his side career as a soapstone carver somewhat accidentally.
He was helping a friend set up a display at a rock and mineral show in Buffalo, N.Y., when he saw a man carving figures out of stone.
The man, Sandy Cline, became a mentor to Hoskin and now the two are close friends.
"We've become absolutely the best of friends," Hoskin said. "If I have a problem with something I'm carving, I'll put it up until he visits and we'll work on it together."
Since the medium is a soft stone composed mostly of talc, Hoskin can use ordinary wood carving tools to create his works.
Since this isn't your main job, is it more of a hobby?
"This is what keeps me out of trouble. I guess you could say it helps keep me sane. It's more than a hobby — hobby sounds too flighty. I just love to do it."
How did you get into this?
"At the show in Buffalo, Sandy was in the corner doing what I'm doing now. I saw him and was just intrigued. I pulled up a chair and must've sat there for two hours. He looked at me and said, 'If you're that interested, why don't you just take my class?' I said all right and I've been doing this ever since. That was in 1997."
What keeps you at it?
"I just fell in love with it. I don't know what happened. I'd tried carving wood, doing sculpture — there's a lot of art in my family but I pretty much sucked at it. Now I've just been carving and carving and carving and carving.
"I do about six shows a year with my carvings."
Where do you get the soapstone?
"It's actually mined out of the ground in different places around the world. The pink comes from Texas. The green from Quebec is my absolute favorite."
Why?
"It's just absolutely beautiful. There's no fracturing to speak of. It's just the right amount of talc in there to hold a shape. It's just so pretty.
What is it about soapstone that you enjoy carving?
"It's just as easy as carving wood — you use the same tools. The thing is it's so dense and so firm it doesn't flake away. It's just really, oh, how can you say it — It doesn't dry and crack in a year and you don't get splinters."
Posted by huligar at 04:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 09, 2005
Co-worker was lucky to survive
By Liz Mineo / Daily News Staff
Sunday, October 9, 2005
MARLBOROUGH -- The man who was working alongside an immigrant crushed to death this week in a stone plant calls his survival a miracle.
Edson Alves, 31, was working with Valdecir Rodrigues when granite slabs weighing more than a ton crushed Rodrigues and injured Alves, who was released a few hours after being treated at Marlborough Hospital.
"I was born again," Alves said. "I thought I was going to die when I saw the granite slabs falling on top of us. I was able to scream and asked for help, but Valdecir couldn't scream."
Rodrigues, who had come from Brazil two years ago, lived in Hudson with his wife, Elisabete, and their two children, Guilherme, 9, and Eduardo, 1.
Alves said he and Rodrigues were working at the stone fabrication shop last Monday afternoon, trying to place granite slabs onto the forks of a forklift to transport them to a table where both workers were going to cut the stone. The company, Atlantic Stone Industries LLC, 894 Boston Post Road East, cuts marble slabs for countertops, tiles and flooring.
Alves has been working at the stone plant for six years, since he immigrated from his native Tarumirim in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Rodrigues had been working for the company for only two weeks, and although Alves had seen Rodrigues in the plant, Monday afternoon was the first time they were working together, Alves said.
According to Kirk Hundley, one of the company's owners, at the time of his death, Rodrigues was being trained in the stone fabrication shop.
Alves often operated the forklift, but when the accident took place, he was carrying the slabs with Rodrigues, Alves said.
"I saw the slabs falling on top of me, and on top of Valdecir," he said. "It felt like a wall had fallen on top of us."
The slabs fell on Alves, hitting him around his waist, and crushed Rodrigues on his side. Alves, who could not move because he was pinned under the slabs, screamed for help. Co-workers removed the slabs from Alves and Rodrigues. Although he is still in pain, Alves is able to walk. He is taking a few days off, seeing doctors and pondering what he will do next.
In his six years of working for the company, he said, this was the first time he had seen an accident.
"I'm still shocked, but I may go back to work," he said. "I have to see."
Posted by huligar at 07:19 AM | Comments (0)
October 08, 2005
Boston Countertop Maker Cited Again for Safety and Health Hazards
BOSTON -- The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a Boston maker of granite and marble countertops for 10 instances of failing to correct hazards cited in a 2004 OSHA inspection. Proposed penalties total $58,500.
Rozetti Marble and Granite LLC was first cited by OSHA in Sept. 2004 for 15 serious violations of workplace safety and health standards. At the time, the company agreed to correct all cited hazards and pay $9,870 in fines. A follow-up inspection in April found several hazards remained uncorrected.
Hazards the company failed to abate included employees exposed to excess levels of silica and lack of engineering controls to reduce exposure levels; no written respiratory protection program; failure to institute a hearing conservation program and provide hearing protection for employees exposed to excess noise levels; misuse of unguarded grinders; untrained employees operating forklifts; employees operating forklifts without using seatbelts; and no written hazard communication program.
OSHA issued 10 "failure to abate" citations and proposed $58,500 in new fines. OSHA issues a failure to abate citation when an employer has agreed to correct a previously cited hazard, then fails to do so.
"An employer's failure to follow through on its commitment to correct workplace hazards is costly, not just in additional fines but to the health and safety of workers as well," said Brenda Gordon, OSHA's area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. "Left uncorrected, these conditions expose workers to respiratory illness, hearing loss, lacerations, crushing injuries and chemical exposures."
Gordon noted that silica, noise, respiratory protection and hazard communication are critical health and safety concerns for stonecutters and the stone products industry. She urged area employers to take advantage of free information available through OSHA or the free, state-funded consultation service offered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Rozetti Marble and Granite has 15 working days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply with them, request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA's Braintree area office, which conducted the inspection, can be reached at (617) 565-6924.
Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Posted by huligar at 03:10 PM | Comments (0)
October 07, 2005
The Manley family of Lincoln has carved its legacy in stone over the last 60 years
In 1945, Dean Manley quit his job selling tombstones for a company in Chicago, brought two small grave markers back to his hometown and started Manley Monuments.
The family business has become a family hobby.
"I remember when we'd go on vacations we'd have to drive through cemeteries, and I thought it was the most boring thing. Now, I appreciate the different designs," recalled Dena Manley, Dean's