Bryn Mawr Modern

I recently received these photos from Fuse 57 Architecture of a new construction project that we were a part of in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood.  I was very impressed with the overall design of the house and loved the use of clear cedar throughout the project.  It was a multi-step install coordinating the cabinets, countertop and cedar shelves with the cedar wall that was installed by the builder, Michlitsch Builders, who built the whole house and did a fantastic job as always.

I am hoping that Fuse 57 will post more photos of the entire project on their website because this is a great project that was thorough in the design and execution of details.

Happy New Year

-Matt-

I still get excited that we were able to do this project for two very talented Minneapolis architects. Their house is a fantastic old two and a half story duplex in Uptown.  Each of the applied pieces of wood was drawn and dimensioned ahead of time for us which made this a much simpler endeavor. 

Not shown is a fully integrated Sub-Zero refrigerator surrounded by a pullout pantry and upper cabinets, all hidden with the same fronts.

-Matt-

furniture with a face on it

When we started this company 6 years ago, we had no idea where it would take us. It was long before we "settled down" and long before Avery. He has certainly changed the way we think about almost everything.

We think more about how what we do affects him and the world around us. Because, let's face it, the world we live in is rapidly changing.

People are craving connection. Real connection. People want to know the people behind the products and services they buy. This longing for connection is why we chose to live and work in a small, rural community where Matt could follow his passion for building beautiful furniture, and I could follow my passion for growing our own food. Working for a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) has allowed us the opportunity to live more connected to the land. The CSA movement started in Japan, and literally means "food with a farmer's face on it." I love this saying. And try to think about how I can incorporate it more into my daily life.

And it is with this philosophy in mind that I would like to introduce to you the "face" of eastvold furniture.  I hope you find something here that you like.  When you purchase a hand-crafted piece of eastvold furniture you know you are supporting a small business, a community, and a family.  And you can rest easy knowing that your piece will be around for years to come and will be passed down to the next generation....with the stories that go along with it. 

We'd love to hear from you.  Amanda & Matt & Avery.

Short walk home from the bar.

When we finished this project, the homeowner said, "I won't have to go to Vegas anymore!"

Yeah, we think this home bar is pretty amazing too.  

Blue Ribbon Kitchen

This weekend we have a kitchen on the Twin Cities Remodeler's Showcase Tour. It was designed by Laurel Ulland of Laurel Ulland Architecture.  It was an exciting project for us because it was very custom and fulfilled a long list of needs presented to us by the customer. 

This list revolved around her long-time hobby, cake decorating.  Some of the specifications included custom-height work space for icing the elaborate cakes.  Custom drawer inserts for baking supplies.  And the highlight in the project for us was the ladder to reach upper cabinetry which hold all the various "cake-making" equipment.  The rail was fabricated by a local shop and the ladder itself was made from solid teak in our shop.  Along with all of the other features, this project turned out to look and function as nice as we had all hoped, and just as the customer had hoped.  

In fact, if you got the chance to visit the Minnesota State Fair this year you would have seen one of her cakes, made and decorated in this fabulous kitchen.  Of course it won a blue ribbon.

There are additional photos of the project on our website: www.eastvoldcustom.com

Eastvold Conveyance

Much of the work that we do reflects progressive designs that are generally found in the urban environment. Many of our cabinet and furniture projects are in houses that might not be labeled "country" and wouldn't blend aesthetically with a 19th century farmstead. However, our shop is located in an area that would definitely be labeled "country". On my way there, I get to drive past pastures, crop fields, withering barns, and the occasional tractor that moves about as fast as 7:30am traffic up 35W.

A few of the crew were out and about in this area the other day taking some shots for our upcoming ads. They did a fantastic job with them. Here is a sneak peak at some of the material you may see in your mailbox or favorite magazine.

Introductions

It is fun to finally be doing a blog for various reasons. I have always wanted to give people a glimpse into our day to day life because of the many exciting things that happen here. The process of doing cabinets and furniture is often times very eventful and exciting to see. We get the opportunity to work with a lot of good people who have very good ideas, these people are customers, employees and designers. With most of our projects being custom and unique, it always seems like the learning curve doesn't flatten out. This part of the process has been made exciting for me because of the great crew we have doing the projects. Eastvold Custom has been graced with some talented and fun people who have made it possible to be at this stage in the game.

I am also hooked on reading design blogs which I will link over time. There are so many ideas that continue to blow my mind. Eastvold Custom is a young company and I feel that we have already gotten to be a part of some amazing projects with great designers that will stand the test of time.

It will be fun to talk about these projects and process them as they go through our shop and into living spaces, along with our many random thoughts on design and the world that we call construction.