In October we published our new book, Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces—and here’s a sneak peek from one of our photo shoots on Cape Cod. The Wellfleet home of Boston-based architects Rodolfo Machado and Jorge Silvetti features a tree-covered promontory surrounded by salt grass and slow tides. The couple liked the spot so much they built a tiny house on it that does double duty as a workspace and guest lodgings. After that, all they had to do was revive the preexisting kitchen garden to create an outdoor wonderland that hews to the modest vernacular of the Cape. N.B.: Order the Gardenista book here. Above: The architects call it a folly, and their garden designer, Tim Callis, calls it a former chicken coop. But there’s no debate over the success of the office studio Machado and Silvetti built in 1995 on a spit of land jutting into a tidal salt marsh, complete with an ersatz dock known as the “runway.” Hardy cedar chairs accommodate loungers year-round.
Above: Although the studio has a tiny footprint, it packs in two built-in desks, both with water views, and a loft bed reached by ladder. The architects made deliberate references to tree houses, using stripped trunks inside and out as structural elements. An Artemide Tolomeo lamp—the workhorse favorite of architects everywhere—provides targeted light when wraparound windows don’t quite do the trick. Above: The house came with an aging, picket-fence-enclosed vegetable garden with southwestern exposure. Tim Callis, gardener to Silvetti and Machado (and Cape Cod neighbor John Derian), revived it with “a lot of soil amending” achieved largely through cow and horse manure and rich compost. Perennial herbs line the picket fence, although “if the temperature goes below 10 degrees, the rosemary will croak,” says Callis. Straw is used to keep weeds out of garden pathways during the growing season and is raked over planter beds at the end of the season. A sprinkler, set next to a lead planter box, douses plants early in the morning to prepare for a full day of sun.
Above: A pair of Chinese junipers creates a triumphal Cape Code–style archway over the entry gate (fortified against unwelcome visitors with hog wire) and sound-trapping yew hedge. Although the house is just off a main road, Callis says, “it’s shocking how quiet it is.” Above: A simple post-and-rail fence marks the boundary between the clamshell driveway (which gets a refresher layer every two to three years) and the yew hedge. The fence protects the hedge from wayward drivers and keeps it from looking too fancy. Throughout the property, deciduous trees mix it up with pines, creating dappled light and keeping temperatures pleasant during the summer months. Above: If you’re going to make your own fence and want it to last a while, consider a post-and-rail model. Above: Extra-tall tepees tied with garden twine support scarlet runner beans which, as they fill out, provide shade for a later summer seeding of lettuces. “It may look a little bit random,” says Callis, “but we do plan it out.”
Just beyond, a stand of pitch pines provides a sun and wind break for flea market furniture. The chairs are from a 1930s design by Artur Lindqvist available from family-owned Swedish company Grythyttan; the Brewery Chair is 1,660 SEK ($188). For more of our favorite outbuildings, studios, and gardens, order the Gardenista book here. , , , , , , , , , , ,We at DFC Woodworks Inc. know how hard it is to find that perfect original gift idea or the difficulty in asking an online retailer to customize your purchase. Most online retailers do not sell products they manufacture let alone products manufactured in North America. We not only sell our fine furniture but we actually manufacture it right here in our plant in Ottawa, Canada. Being a North American Manufacturer gives us the ability to take your order personally and to offer our customers the ability to customize their order. From high precision laser etching of your personal logo and/or text, to customizing your furniture to a different size, or even actually building new original custom furniture.
Customize your furniture with your own custom message, and/or with a custom logo, or even a “picture”. We can make your purchase something to be proud of with our custom laser etching. Better than plaques that fall off, the laser etching is ecstatically pleasing and permanent. Great for that perfect personalized gift idea. Great for Anniversary gift, Retirement gift, Mothers day gift, Fathers day gift, Valentines day gift, Birthday gift or any Special occasion gift idea. The custom etching is done with a high-end laser engraver. It embeds text and images within the wood surface with incredible detail and accuracy. We can include team logos, names and sponsor logos. The quality of the artwork provided is the key to achieving high-quality results. As you can see from the picture above the details can be astounding. When you place your order online there is a place for notes - just be sure to put your custom message in that box. There is no limit for the amount of text but please appreciate that the longer the text, the smaller the font will be, as we may have to place the text in multiple lines.
We usually place the custom laser etching on the front slat of an although we can place it in a different location upon request. Custom logos or artwork will need to be sent separately through email at in order for the finished product to be perfect. An .ai, .cdr or an eps file of the artwork would be required. This file type is necessary for best results as other file types may not be readable by the high precision laser etch machine. If unsure of the file format of your artwork, you may want to ask your advertising department/person, printing department, or a knowledgeable technical person for the proper file format. We do not and will not under any circumstances share or distribute any proprietary logos, and/or artwork other than for work that has been specifically contracted to us by you, and/or your company. If You have any questions about customizing your furniture please feel free to contact us by email at: or by phone Toll free. 1-800-418-1433 or our direct shop line at 613-223-6923
Upon request we can customize your with higher back slats , wider seats, or wider arms. We can customize any of our furniture pieces within reason. Just email us at: or call us toll free at 1-800-418-1433 or the direct shop line at 613-223-6923. Dial 011 for overseas calls. Custom changes to your furniture may be limited due to the availability of custom size/type of wood required. The time of the year may also affect delivery lead times. During the peak Spring season we may not be able to accept custom changes to the furniture. There may be extra charges levied for customizing your furniture although the return guarantee may be affected, depending on the changes required. As our treating process is done by immersing all the pieces individually in 80 gallon vats we cannot accept requests for custom color coating of our furniture pieces other than the two available colors at this time. We only use the best stain on the market for our furniture (Cetol 1 by Sikkens) Please see our Treating page** for more information about our unique treating process.
Our 10 year guarantee would be in effect no matter the changes made to the furniture and we will even guarantee custom furniture pieces. We can accommodate you if you desire a larger table, chair or just about any custom piece that you can think of. Just email us or call us toll free at 1-800-418- 1433 with your custom idea and we will try and accommodate you. Be it using custom wood or building custom pieces for your home or for corporate promotions or displays. We have made great unique pieces that are both useful and durable. We will not however accept or do work that would compromise our high standards of quality. The pictures above on the left is of a custom 48” x 42” rectangular table with 4 custom benches. This client also ordered a 8-foot custom round table with 10 Royal Chairs. This table was made to specification with a folding leg assembly with invisible hinges. The benches were made with extra wide legs for stability and to prevent tipping. The picture above on the right shows a custom oversized made for the “Great Wolf Lodge” in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
It is actually “The World’s Largest Folding Adirondack Chair." They requested that we build something unique that would allow their patrons a photo opportunity where they could remember their stay. We did just that! Then there is a custom made 8 foot picnic table we made for Hannah Nicole wineries. If you are ever in California then look them up. We know you will love their wines too! We have made many custom works through the years both in furniture and in custom pieces. You can view some of our other works by looking at our sister website showcasing our unique pieces. If you have ideas for custom outdoor furniture or other custom outdoor works, please feel free to contact us by email at: or call us toll free at 1-800-418-1433 or the direct shop line at 613-223-6923 It would be a pleasure to talk with you about your ideas. If you have drawings, even rough ones that we can work with, or you can provide us with enough details by phone or by email we will work with you to make your dream furniture a reality.