2013 Wood Diamond Award

Category – Kitchen Face Frame Under $25K

Project Description – I used my Grizzly planer, jointer, table saw, and shaper, my Porter Cable router, De Walt sanders, drills, and chop saw.
The couple I built for was living about 3 hours away, and wanted to be very involved doing much of the contracting. They had a lot of trouble making decisions about what they wanted in many areas. It took many hours just mixing stains to try to find one that they liked. Every decision was changed again and again, but in the end, they made all the right decisions and the project was gorgeous.
Staining the alder in a dark color was very time consuming, as it is so porous that it would get too dark, so I had to be very careful to keep it all consistent.

Unusual Aspects – At first, I wondered if the dark stain on the soft wood was a good idea, but once I installed the finished kitchen, I was amazed at the beauty. The contrast between the mahogany on the knotty alder and the light colors in the home just stands out so nicely. It really is one of my favorite projects now. The home owners are very pleased.

Why I like the CMA – We are so happy to have become members of CMA. We are hoping to begin attending trainings and other events in the next couple years. Winning the award last year gave us wonderful publicity. We even got a front page story and photos on the business section of one of the big Sunday papers in Wyoming because of your press release. Thank you so much!