While shooting a very old house in Maine several years ago I saw this stairway that caught my attention. Its steep, almost ladder-like grade was the first thing I noticed, but second was the way the treads were worn down by innumerable trips up and down those stairs. It occurred to me that even though it had settled and the floors were no longer level, the builder had built the house well enough to withstand the test of time. The house had been built over 200 years ago but was still standing, providing shelter and warmth for its owners. For those of us in the building or design business it serves as a good reminder to build once and build well, and to strive towards excellence in all that we do.
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