From Dempsy R. Calhoun’s artist’s statement: “A working cattle farm on the New River, rich in flora and fauna…a marriage of modern amenities cloaked in ancient timbers…the house…pays homage to time-honored methods of home-building while including cutting edge technology…in the end her house is a convergence where the reunion of ancient timbers is poised on the cusp of stunning scenery, while inside fine art and fine craft engage in dialogue and soliloquy. Good stuff.”

In Aug. 2012, Charlotte Hanes visited our shop and told us that she wanted her home to be ‘very real’–it would be in Grayson County, the poorest county in Virginia. She wanted the construction of her home to be a way for the local tradespeople to learn about building science, about energy efficient building techniques that they might not encounter otherwise. Another goal: to support local craftspeople by putting them back to work during difficult times.

So began a unique (in our experience) design collaboration between the owner, the contractor, the designer, and the subcontractors.

Charlotte knows wood. Reclaimed wood fit the goal of sustainability best of all, but the cost of building an entire home with reclaimed wood wouldn’t fit the budget. Enter a local furniture manufacturer selling their inventory of reclaimed wood. Charlotte bought the entire million+ board feet. Imagine walking into a cavernous warehouse in Eastern Virginia, and as your eyes adjust to the dimly lit interior, your mind staggers in disbelief at just how much wood is there, and you realize that you’ll never again see a sight like the one before you now: row upon row of bundles of reclaimed Chestnut, Walnut, Heart Pine, Oak, Pine, Maple–stacked to the warehouse ceiling.

Over the next several months, we hand selected every timber and piece of wood needed for her house. The balance? She formed a company to sell the rest of the reclaimed wood!