Floating Mantels

Floating mantels are a big trend lately and with our hollow mantels you get the look of a solid mantel with real wood grain endcaps!  Check out these beautiful mantels...

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Beam Inspiration: Using Beams in All Styles of Design

oursodesigns.com

When people think of beams, they often times think "rustic."  However, we are noticing a shift towards eclectic spaces that are modern but include beams.  Here are a collection of photos with beams utilized within spaces of different design style.

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Thorncrown Chapel: An indigenous pine truss system supports a secluded glass building.

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"Thorncrown Chapel was designed by world renowned architect E. Fay Jones. Fay was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1921. He studied at the University of Arkansas, Rice University, the University of Oklahoma, and finally under his mentor Frank Lloyd Wright at the Taliesin Fellowship.
Jones’ awards include the 1981 American Institute of Architects National Honor Award for Thorncrown Chapel and the AIA Gold Medal (1990). Thorncrown was listed fourth on the AIA’s top ten buildings of the 20th century. When alive, Mr. Jones was recognized as one of the top ten living architects of the 20th century.

The inspiration for Thorncrown Chapel was Sainte Chappelle, Paris’ light filled gothic chapel. Fay affectionately labeled Thorncrown’s style as “Ozark Gothic.” The chapel rises 48 feet into the sky with over 6,000 square feet of glass and 425 windows. Its dimensions are 24 feet by 60 feet. The chapel is made with all organic materials to fit its natural setting. The only steel in the structure forms a diamond shaped pattern in its wooden trusses. The building has a native flagstone floor surrounded with a rock wall which gives the feeling that the chapel is part of its Ozark hillside.
In order to preserve Thorncrown’s natural setting, Fay decided that no structural element could be larger than what two men could carry through the woods. The building materials are primarily pressure treated pine 2x4s, 2x6s, and 2x12s. The larger elements of the building such as the trusses were assembled on the floor and raised into place.

Light, shadows, and reflections play a major role in Thorncrown’s ambience. Because of the chapel’s elaborate trusses and the surrounding trees, constantly changing patterns of light and shadows appear during the day. At night reflections of the crosses in the lights appear to surround the entire building. Consequently, Thorncrown never looks quite the same. Its appearance changes during each hour of the day and during the different seasons of the year."

E. Fay Jones also designed the Pinecote Pavilion, we are thinking of taking a day trip there. Pictured below.

You can also check out the beautiful Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel. Pictured below.

Laying Out Beams: Tips & Tricks

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Deciding to add beams to an existing house or to new construction can be very exciting! There are tons of pictures online of beautifully designed ceiling beam systems. But once you're ready to order your beams, it can be difficult to decide which sizes and designs will adequately fit your space. If you go too large, it can make the room look small, and if you go too small, your beams may appear flimsy.  The idea is to create something that appears authentic to the architecture of the house.

Flat Ceilings

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Adding beams to a flat ceiling is a really easy way to add architectural interest to any room. The look can be ultra-modern or super rustic depending on the aesthetic of the room and the beam itself.  There are many ways to apply beams to a flat ceiling.  Here are some example photos.

These beams are semi-rustic in texture and are tucked in a ceiling alcove.

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The beams below are simple in texture, which compliments the modern feel to the space.

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Selecting the correct beam size for the room is extremely important.  Here's our guideline for appropriate beam sizes based on ceiling heights:
 

Coffered Ceilings

 

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Though layout will likely be dictated by your own design style and aesthetic issues you may encounter, your ceiling size will be another factor. Generally, nine-panel grids work well for most rooms. If the room is square, the coffers should also be square. If the room is rectangular, the coffers should be rectangular. Build a grid on the ground first, and then attach it to the ceiling, to save yourself a neck ache. Snap chalk lines on the ceiling to keep the beam layout straight, and then use a different colored chalk to mark out joists, to avoid confusion.

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 If you're interested in adding beams to your home, feel free to contact us for free advice on layout!

End Tables

Another reclaimed wood product we offer is our end tables. In keeping with our aim to reduce as much waste as possible, our end tables are constructed from the drop-off of solid beams that would otherwise go to waste.

Often times the reclaimed beams we acquire contain large pieces of metal inherent to the beam's original construction and purpose. These metal piece make sections of the beam unfit to be sawed on our mill, and therefore perfect to be turned into end tables. They also add the distinct and unique character that one can only find in reclaimed materials

After drop off pieces are sanded to smooth out roughness and worked over with an angle grinder to ehnace texture, hairpin legs (ranging  are attached to give our end tables a mid-century modern touch that compliments the rustic appeal of reclaimed pine quite nicely.

Read more about the history of hairpin legs here: http://www.madformidcentury.com/2012/09/the-history-of-hairpin-legs.html#.VfLdJJdkYcM

Beam Inspiration

This week's beam inspiration:

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Using our mantels as floating shelves

Did you know we can make our mantels in custom sizes?  We can also make floating shelves!  Here are some inspiration photos of shelving we could custom make!

Beam Inspiration

This week's beam inspiration is a house designed by Laura U's Interiors.

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We're now stocking several mantel sizes for your ordering convenience!

Stock sizes available:

• 8" tall x 10" deep x 5'-0" long
• 8" tall x 10" deep x 5'-6" long
• 8" tall x 10" deep x 6'-0" long
• 8" tall x 10" deep x 6'-6" long
• 8" tall x 10" deep x 7'-0" long

We're still making custom sizes too.  Our turn around time for custom mantels is currently 2-3 weeks.  Contact stevi@oursodesigns.com for more information!

Click here for more information on our mantels!

Load 'em up, move 'em out

Hey everybody, Randy here. Just wanted to share my excitement about finishing up our biggest order yet-- 59 beams!! Here's a picture of Garrett and Miles loading the order onto a Hot Shot truck bound for Texas:

It's been a busy summer, and we've been cranking out the beams despite the heat (thank heavens for fans!). One kind of cool by-product of fulfilling large beam orders is rather artistic trash can arrangements:

Till next time...

Getting all the samples out: How we're coming along with processing our free beam sample offer!

Hi there! Stevi here from The Olde Mill...
As many of you may know we recently sent several free beam sample offers out and had an enormous response from them.  We are so excited to be sending thousands of our samples out nationwide! Here is a preview of what the actual sample looks like:

Currently we are shipping between 50-100 samples out weekly.  Since we've acquired the suite next door to us we have been utilizing the front office space as a sample & shipping facility.

 Here's Garrett & Miles clamping up some samples.

Garrett LOVES clamping!

As the guys gear up to put the last finishing touches on the samples, I start making boxes.  In between the clamping and box making we brand the coasters and the beam samples (but we'll save that for another post).

She made cardboard boxes til the day she died.

Here's a small batch ready to be labeled and shipped!

Order your sample today!  Click here.