Knock on Wood: We Are Coming Out the Other Side Stronger!
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the second issue of Specifications. Over the last year and a half, I have been astounded by the resilience of New York and the industries and professionals who have constructed this city and continue to transform the built environment. From starts and stops to supply chain issues, architects, builders and craftspeople have demonstrated incredible determination, getting on with the work and doing it well. Knock on wood, we are making it through and coming out stronger on the other side.
Surprisingly, wood has been a story throughout the Covid crisis. Fluctuating lumber prices, supply shortages, the emergence of outdoor dining habitats, and the comeback of reclaimed wood as a viable building material are some of the stories I’ve been following.
In this issue, I put the spotlight on timber. I visit with brothers Richard and Peter Vogel of KB Woodworking and we talk about their recent work and experiences during Covid. I discuss the hunt for the perfect Anigre veneer for an AE Greyson project and hand scraping wood floors for a brilliant townhouse on the market that was built in 1905. And last (but certainly not least) I introduce AE Greyson’s latest addition, Astrid, who will likely ruin some wood floors in my homestead, but boy is she worth it.
Happy Reading,
Joe Kusnick
Founder, AE GREYSON
(ABOVE) The hunt was on for the perfect Anigre veneer used throughout this Central Park residence. Scroll down for more on this project.
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(RIGHT) Brothers Peter and Richard Vogel of KB Woodworking; (LEFT) storage of veneer — this is what veneer looks like after the tree is cut into thin slices.
Last Thursday, I visited with Peter and Richard of KB Woodworking. They are craftsmen who accept nothing less than perfection. Peter and Richard showed me their complete veneering process in their factory. I then spoke with Richard and we talked a bit about trends in veneer, the impact of Covid, and what he finds most rewarding in his work.
How has Covid impacted your craft and the materials you use? What trends have you seen in the last 18 months?
Like every business, we have seen some changes because of Covid. Some pricing has gone up but not too bad. The core material for veneering – MDF (medium-density fiberboard) – has gone up a little bit and supplies were harder to come by for a while. Some supplies like the moisture resistant material are still tough to get these days. Three plants closed due to Covid and a fourth one we get supplies from burnt down this year. It takes time to get manufacturing plants back up and running. You cannot just flip a switch after a Covid shutdown. In terms of trends in veneering, rift white oak remains the most popular. It has been a trend that has lasted longer than I expected.
What is your favorite wood to work with? And what processes and techniques do you rely on most?
For us, everything is veneer. We don’t do a lot of solid wood work. I like working with figured wood or something with a bit more character like quartered figured English sycamore. Our process for veneer is pretty consistent regardless of the material. We slice the veneer leaves to make the face and glue these faces to both sides of the MDF and then we put them in the veneer hot press. It sounds straightforward but it’s a delicate process. Everything requires care.
What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your craft?
To take a pile of veneer and work around the defects and get it laid out properly is really rewarding to me. My goal is always to exceed the customer’s expectations. I’ve been doing this for more than thirty years and it’s about the attention to detail and delivering excellence.
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My tour of the KB Woodworking factory and their complete veneering process. |
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FROM THE AE GREYSON PORTFOLIO
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Central Park residence surfaced in rare African-grown Anigre veneer.
AE Greyson was commissioned to build this 7,000 square-foot full-floor modernist apartment. This contemporary home is all about the millwork. It was designed as a canvas on which the owner’s private art collection could be showcased. The owner was a longtime trustee and chair of the board of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. The entire apartment is surfaced in rare African-grown Anigre veneer. When I say the entire apartment, I mean the entire apartment. Every wall is paneled, the interiors and exteriors of every built-in cabinet and all the closets use the same material.
Anigre has a natural pink cast, but the designer, Thomas Pheasant, called for a subtler non-pinkish tone so that the wood would not require a bleaching process. The challenge was to find consistent quality and understated color in a large enough quantity to suit the project’s special requirements. The search for the perfect material took six long months. We scoured mills and wood suppliers across Europe and Africa until we could procure just the right 1/32" veneer slices. The material traveled from Africa across the Atlantic to the millworker’s shop, located in the Brooklyn Army Terminal, where they custom cut each panel, shelf and door to exacting tolerances.
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854 Fifth Avenue
Currently on the market is an absolutely wonderous property located at 854 Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. The single-family, historic townhouse has had only one owner over the last 70 years, which is almost unheard of. According to the listing, the home’s many unique features include “rich historic provenance, grand proportions inspired by the Palace of Versailles, and preserved original Gilded Age details by master artisans of the early 20th century.”
If I could do anything with this property, I would undertake a comprehensive restoration effort. Revitalizing the exquisite original detail and craftsmanship of the wood would lead the way. In the grand sitting room, pictured above for example, I would take great care in the thorough refurbishment of the wood, the main material used to create this room. If you notice, large solid wood planks adorn the walls in the style of millwork paneling as traditionally fabricated in 19th century Europe. This was common before veneer came into fashion. Repairs to a few cracks and French polishing would give this room a new lease on life. For the floors, I’d take the harder road. Instead of using machinery to sand the floors, I’d hand scrape them as was customary when this townhouse was built. The technique would result in a slight texture that provides the context of the time as opposed to an overly polished slick contemporary look.
Douglas Elliman has the listing for this $50 million, 20,000 square foot historic Beaux-Art building and you can view it in its entirety here.
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MEET ASTRID: AE GREYSON’S EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
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Astrid — the newest member of the AE Greyson family.
Two things make a place a home: a great builder and a great dog.
AE Greyson always had the great building part covered. Now, I am thrilled to announce the arrival of Astrid, our Employee of the Month. This new pup is making my dwelling the most exceptional home and I am so happy she is bringing smiles to the entire AE Greyson team.
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