Old Piece New Purpose

It's all about the story.  The journey.  It's the art of taking an old, discarded object and giving it new life.  Letting it tell a new story.  These pieces are creative and kick ass.  All handmade and only painted if necessary.  Giving some love to Bologna, Italy.  These are by Manoteca and you can see more here.

via Yatzer

#2

I'm getting back to it after a few weeks away with the family. A little down time here as we welcomed our second little nugget, Eleanor Louise. There's nothing like family. They drive me every single day. Big brother Leo is ready to show her the ropes and what can I say about my super sweet, wife. Amazing. My love. My inspiration.

95

Today is Grandpa's birthday. 90 freaking 5. Just crazy. Love it. Love him. He's definitely slowed down but still pretty sharp. Always has been and always will be about hard work. I still remember him telling me, 'if you can't get it done by Noon, don't bother getting started'.

The founder of our family business back in 1945 and my personal barber back in 1975.

Old Theaters New Ideas

Here are a few shots of some abandoned theaters. The top photo is from St. Louis and the other is from Detroit. They're both from a post via ArchDaily that documents these great buildings from all over the U.S. The question has become whether or not architects should take on the challenge of renovating them. I love the idea of some form of adaptive reuse. The possibilities are endless for a mixed-use type of development. The architecture is timeless. It's history. How can building that were once so vibrant not only in their purpose but also in their design, become so listless?

via ArchDaily

Customer Service

My grandpa, M. Fred Capaldi circa 1938

I believe in giving the customer the best possible service you can and standing by the product. We see things all the time in building and architecture that don't go according to plan. It happens. Things happen. I learned from my dad and grandpa about being patient and staying focused. They're both great leaders and well respected in the industry. They can keep things under control and most importantly keep the customer happy.

Golf and Architecture

I've mentioned it before and it means a lot to me to be proud of where I'm from. There are so many great buildings, rich in tradition and design. Oakland Hills Country Club is in Bloomfield Township, MI. Not only one of the most prestigious golf courses but also a historic structure. It was modeled after George Washington's Mount Vernon with it's Georgian style architecture. It's the second largest wooden structure in the state, second only to the Grand Hotel. It also boasts the second largest covered porch in state at 75 yards, again right behind the Grand. The building underwent an extensive renovation in 2000 and this is how she stands today.

photo here

Trucks and Donuts

As far back as I can remember my dad would take me to job sites. I especially loved the weekends because we would always stop at the donut shop. Custard filled donuts and a ride in the truck. We still ride together on certain days and it's still great. My little nugget loves the truck and donuts. It never gets old. It just gets better.

(photo via my father-in-law, Kip)

Beet Squad

Today it's all about the wife and her crew, The Beet Squad. They are involved in a competition to Reinvent Fast Food on www.yoxi.tv

Yoxi is an online competition where teams of 3 use videos they create to compete and come up with creative solutions to social issues. Reinventing Fast Food is the social issue they are competing for and they have come up with a pretty kick ass idea called FoodSurge.

FoodSurge is an online daily deal site that links proprietors, producers and passionate people who all want to eat real food. By creating a web of support, they are able to keep costs down, create a risk free experience for restaurants and producers, and also give the public the options they want.

The Beet Squad is one of the top two finalists and the last round of voting started yesterday and ends tonight at midnight PST. You can go to yoxi and vote here for The Beet Squad. Just make sure you are signed in before voting.

To learn more about The Beet Squad and see the rest of their videos, check out their page here or go to www.thebeetsquad.com

The Ford Plantation Saved

This is a late 1920's board-and-batten farm cottage just outside of Savannah, Georgia that was once owned by Henry Ford. It was to be torn down and the couple that purchased it had second thoughts. They did a sweet job preserving and renovating this little historic nugget. I love places with history. Check out some of the photos.

photos via Coastal Living Magazine

Muddy Boots

Here they are back in the day when I was still pushing the broom around and Dad and Grandpa were getting all flashy on us. This old advertisement hangs in my Dad's office and I think it's a great piece because even though it's 30 years old, our company still lives up to every detail. The funny thing is, this literally might be the last advertisement we ran. We decided quite a few years ago to go referral based and not advertise. This conscious decision kept us centered and helped to guarantee that our goal was to give our customers such amazing and personal customer service, that they were compelled to tell their friends. It's worked for us and has definitely kept us grounded, honest and passionate about this craft. I'm not telling you this to give myself a pat on the back, I'm just proud to be part of this business and carrying on a tradition started so many years ago.

Haunted House

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought I'd show this crazy 'haunted house'. This is the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. It was constructed by Sarah Winchester, the wife of William Winchester, heir to a rifle fortune. Legend has it that when Sarah's infant died, she became depressed. This depression got worse when her husband passed years later. She saw a medium who said that she and her family had been haunted by the spirits of the dead who died from the rifles her family made. The medium told her the only way to get rid of the spirits was to build a house for them and never stop building it. As long as she kept building, her life would be saved.

She moved to San Jose and for the next 38 years, never stopped building the Winchester House. The place is enormous. The house is built with mazes, dead ends and secret passageways. It was designed this way as a means for the spirits to get lost. When she died, the house was spread out over six acres and included 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 staircases, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms and kitchens. Are you kidding me? The house is a tourist destination now and is supposedly haunted. Such a crazy story.

(pictures via Winchester Mystery House)

Stonework

I feel like stonework is literally a lost art. I was reading an article yesterday on a historic renovation by Vicente Burin Architects based out in Connecticut and just couldn't pass it up because of the amazing stonework. They worked diligently with this client to restore and add on to an old English stone construction cottage from the 1930's by a self taught architect by the name of Frazier Forman Peters. Peters had a passion for stone construction and loved using local materials (first time I've heard of him and I like him already). When VB Architects took on this project they got after it and took a ton of pride in keeping this sweet exterior look. They were able to utilized local stones but the bigger challenge they said was matching the look and getting the grout joints just right. I totally agree. Custom stonework takes time and precision. A killer job by the installer.

photos by Dan Lenore

Old Tools

Do you have many old tools? They are powerful no matter how big or small. I have a few that have been handed down to me from my dad and grandfather and each one tells a story. I pulled out an old ratchet set the other day while working with my dad and noticed the look on his face. It's not only tells a story but it can also create a bond as well.

photo via William Waldron

Another Chapter

Here's a picture of my grandfather in the early 1940's with his first company truck. You can see the Capaldi name on the side. He looks so proud. I stopped by to see him this week. 94 and still sharp as hell. Whenever I see him, it reminds me of the history of our company and how you can never forget where you come from. Have a good weekend.

Anniversary Weekend

Not only inspired by the craft of building and our family business but most importantly by my beautiful wife, Allison. It's our 6 year anniversary. Have a great weekend everyone.

Craft 1945

M. Fred Capaldi (on the right) May 20, 1936 working as a wrecker.

This is the beginning. This is where it all began. The hard work. The perseverance. The passion for a craft. My Grandfather, M. Fred Capaldi, started Capaldi Building Company in 1945 after working as a wrecker and mason. He started the company because he was passionate about the craft of building. When you sign up to continue on a tradition and become a part of a family business, not only do you have to be passionate about the industry you are in, but you have to also be passionate about the history. Winston Churchill wrote that "we shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us." My roots have created a foundation for inspiration. I am inspired by the the craft of building and the history of our family business. It was instilled in me at a young age that well crafted structures are those that tell the best stories. I'm looking forward to sharing this inspiration through this blog.