Take Noreen Irvine's Calgary home, for example. It's been eight years since a major renovation brought finish carpenter Dennis Heinzig in, but the solid maple doors, mouldings and built-in cabinetry that Heinzig and his crew created throughout the house still look -- and feel -- new. And none of it, from the fluted columns in the fireplace surround to the details above the built-in display cabinet, came out of a box or off a shelf.
"Everything was built on site," confirms Heinzig, owner of Heinbar Enterprises.
That includes the granite-topped centre island that anchors the open-concept living area, where the kitchen, casual dining and family area look out over a picturesque ravine. The maple wraps around two-thirds of the space, from the kitchen cabinets to the corner fireplace to the built-in computer nook and wet bar. A light finish keeps the woodwork from overwhelming the space, creating stunning accents that are repeated in the home's bathrooms and master bedroom.
But what makes this even more stunning is how it started. "I took Home Depot graph paper and put stickers on it to show where the fridge would be and where the dishwasher would be," explains Irvine. She gave Heinzig pictures of what she liked in magazines and photographs, including one from a family home in Ireland. He took it from there.
"From that conceptual point of view that the client provides, you can sketch out a more complete plan, adapting it to the framing and size that you have to work with," says Heinzig, who began his career in finish carpentry in 1975, working for another finishing company and learning on the job.
Heinzig and the three other carpenters who worked on Irvine's home have certainly created beauty. Gentle arches in the open display cabinets soften the vertical lines of the fluting, while the darker dentil strips set off the light finish in key areas. Repetition of these details creates continuity throughout the space, contributing to a style best described as classic made contemporary.
"The most valued asset of finishing is being able to leave the job and know that what you've done is always visible," says Heinzig. "You could come back five years from now and what you did will still be there. In finishing, everything you do creates the curb appeal -- the ambience for the home. To know that you're a part of it, and a part of your client's satisfaction with the home, is very fulfilling."
--Canwest News Service
