THE ARTISAN CHRONICLES

And tomorrow, I’m taking the Sash Factory into a client’s driveway in Hyde Park. We’re going to build window sash on site. Not as a stunt. Not as a demo. Not for social media. To get the job done. And to prove something that matters. Historic house communities don’t need distant specialists. They need local capacity. They need artisans who can show up, set up, make what’s needed, install it, and move on. They need teams.

Why historic windows keep falling through the cracks — and what Window Craft changes. Recently, a simple pricing conversation surfaced something much deeper about how historic windows are typically serviced. It started with numbers. Different restorers shared what they might charge to restore a set of damaged historic windows. The prices were all over the map — some higher, some surprisingly low. At first glance, it looked like a normal trade discussion. But as the conversati

I took a photo recently of a house in San Antonio that quietly says everything about what Window Craft really is. At first glance, it just looks like a handsome historic façade. But if you actually look at it the way an artisan reads a job, you see something deeper: Two small oval windows flanking the front door. A lace-like transom over the entry. Normal 6-over-6 and 8-over-8 double-hung windows above. And gothic arched windows up in the attic that I personall

If nobody is there to stop someone from building a monopoly, why wouldn’t they build one? Why wouldn’t they expand regionally? Why wouldn’

For as long as I’ve been in the trades, I’ve heard the same phrases repeated again and again. “Good help is hard to find.” “Clients don’t understand the work.” “People won’t pay for quality.” “The next generation doesn’t care.” “The skills are disappearing.

A reflection on calling, sacrifice, and why sacred work still matters On the side of our building, there’s a mural. At first glance, it...

When I was in my early twenties, I started a music group. I called it Charismatic Pain. It sounded crazy to most people.

When it comes to saving historic windows, most people focus on quick fixes: patching rot, slapping on paint, or swapping in replacements

Surely every Artisan is a worker, but not every worker is an Artisan. Every Artisan indeed is a worker, but what kind of worker?

What do you want for Christmas? Maybe it's a black swan on the back of a unicorn. I'm going to be glad to spend a few weeks at home with...

Having been thinking for years about what kind of person I need to hire to help with the work at Wood Window Makeover, I am starting to...

Do you ever watch the TV show Survivor where they throw a bunch of people into a wilderness to compete in various challenges? Yet before...

(Entire unedited and candid discussion between Steve and Lynda about the state of the business and why she’s leaving Wood Window...

Ownership. What does it really mean to own a business? What does it really mean to own anything for that matter? Yes I started it. Yes,...

Prices of lumber are at an all time high. There's been much speculation as to why, but ultimately (as is so often the case) it's the...

(First published Sept, 2020) How is singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat like an Artisan Army working on windows?? Singers who know and...

I've always been passionate about how Client Care/Job Setup/Organizing the Work Beginning and End should be conducted. This is nothing...

The Artisan has become such by eliminating unnecessary, superfluous movements and combining two or three basic movements into one that is...

The secret to excellent execution is an excellent set up. A worker may wind up with an excellent result every now and then, but for one...

So we have a large project coming up soon, in a couple of weeks as a matter of fact. For months we’ve been working on small to medium...