A WoodWork in Progress

Our living room has a fireplace that our family likes to spend time watching. Part of that requires our couch to be in the right place to view it. We also recently made the decision to purchase a projector to show movies on the wall above the fireplace, which is another reason our couch needs to be oriented to face it. When re-arranging the living room, it was agreed that a console table behind the couch would be very useful, and would help eliminate the need for a coffee table. So, I designed a console table to fit our needs and more importantly, fit our couch. Our couch is only a few years old and wouldn't be changed for a long time, so I was confident that whatever table I make to fit this couch will be used for many years. One requirement we had was to integrate outlets for lamps and for phone charging cables. For a long time, we had thought of placing those outlets on the top of the table (I had seen many other designs for console tables with this placement). I decided shortly...

Over the past few years, there have been several storms that have caused power outages that have lasted more than a few days, so many homes in the area have invested in generators to use as backup power. My client purchased a generator this summer and wanted it to be set-up outside, ready to be turned on at any time. The generator they purchased is a dual-power source generator, that can use a natural gas line from the house, or gas poured in from the top of the generator using a jerry can. It would need to be secured from theft, and also sheltered from the elements. I was asked to come up with a solution. One thought was a yard bin that is often used for patio accessories or garbage cans.  The issue with that is it can become inaccessible in the winter with snow and ice built-up. It also doesn't provide sufficient airflow for the generator. The recommended solution was a freestanding structure that would provide several benefits: sufficient fresh air intake clear path for the exha...