The lumber room is a store of ideas, objects, thoughts, stories, desires and actions. The root activity begins with an artist in residence. The goals of the residency attempt to address an open-ended question: What is the residual effect of a creative act on a place or community? | The Felt Hat collaborated with client and architectural designer to name, brand, manage all communications and assist in programming activities of the lumber room. In addition to designing a web site and book about the creation of the lumber room, we designed one-of-a kind furnishings in the residence. | The approach to the furniture is derived from the name in its varying facets; from the intellectual definition to its physical definition to its cultural definition.
Intellectual: As far back as the mid 1600s, the mind was commonly referred as a lumber room, with the raw potential of ideas being ‘mind lumber’.

Physical: There are two physical definitions, lumber itself – and a store room for things.

Cultural: There is a rich history and culture of harvesting lumber in the Pacific Northwest.

Intellectually and physically, lumber is most useful when stored for potential use. Like possessions, it regresses to useless junk when collected for the mere fact of having it. The lumber in this residence is about potential. | Only things that have a purpose will be included, whether that purpose is to make someone comfortable or to inspire an unexpected perspective – hope.

  • Rain Chandelier
    In the Pacific Northwest, rain is ever present. After a downpour one notices patterns of raindrops on the window. Imagine lifting the pattern from the pane – then recreating each drop in blown glass, subtly hued to represent the myriad colors seen in every drop. Repeat the pattern seven times to create a box of rain greeting each guest as they enter the lumber room.

     

    principal photography:
    Jeremy Bittermann

  • Felted Silk
    Window Sheers
    The sheers are formed after the cellular structure of wood. We began with a magnified cross section of Douglas Fir, enlarged it, and drew patterns for each sheer. We sourced and engaged a artisan to create the sheers in felted wool and silk. They are twelve feet tall, and span seventy linear feet. They wrap the room in a cocoon of soft light.

  • Communal Dining Table
    The table is inspired by those found in the commissaries of logging camps. The utilitarian yet elegant design is crafted out of found walnut and assembled without hardware or adhesive.

  • Trestle Bench
    Timber was wrangled out of the rugged coast range on rails with the help of temporary trestle bridges – the engineering of which resulted in beautiful structures. zOur bench elevates this aesthetic in the hands of a local master furniture builder. The seat slats echo the scale of the original wood floors in the lumber room, while the overall form takes its inspiration from old Deacon Benches.
    Sunday service was provided for logging crews by visiting chaplains. The same seating acting as a storytelling venue around the evening fire was transformed into a makeshift chapel every Sunday morning. The bench recalls these vital social functions by serving as informal gallery seating in The Yard (the lumber room’s primary exhibition space).
    It is re-configured according to the needs of each exhibition or event.

  • Live Edge Shelf
    Leftover wood from the Dining Table construction has been installed in the foyer as shelf.

  • Making the lumber room.
    The book was conceived and designed in the space. It chronicles the entire history of the residence – from its inception as a conversation between client and architectural designer to present day.