Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Logging Antiques and a Shack my Family Built


Eighteen years ago, my family built a small building on our property in the Columbia River Gorge. We salvaged flooring from a nearby house and used wood from a fir tree on our property to construct the the one room, 180 square foot building. At first, we intended to use the building as a sauna, however its single layer wood walls held heat like a pair of wet cotton gloves. For the better part of the next two decades, the building housed my grandmother on her frequent visits, numerous middle school sleep overs, teenage debauchery, and most recently, my mom's shit.

Upon returning home for the holidays in mid December, I undertook the project of clearing out the building and setting it up with some antiques and furniture. Inspired by Skamania County's logging heritage and the rugged nature of the building I decorated the the walls with old logging equipment and camping gear as an ode to the logging camps that once occupied the surrounding woods.

Paul Bunyan?

I love augers.

This basalt column acts as a step and a reminder of the building's close proximity the area's iconic basalt formations.

These old gas cans were used on Jeeps during the second World War and since have been adapted to all sorts of applications including carrying water and fuel throughout the world. The raw steel shows through wear in the red paint, resembling the worn teeth of the eight foot saw blades.

My mom bought the Coleman Lantern at the Catlin Gabel Rummage Sale a few years back. The Yellow newspaper can visible in the lower left dates back to the 50s.

These tripods were originally used for surveying equipment and large format photography. My mom and I plan on converting them to lamps. I like the 50's aluminum helmet on the raw fir.

Despite my affinity for vintage clothing and Americana antiques, my furniture taste lends itself to modern Scandinavian design. The juxtaposition between the old logging axes and raw wood of the building and the Scandinavian couch works for me.

As my college career quickly winds to a close, the immense prospect of spending less and less time in the place where I grew up hangs in my mind like lingering email that I need to respond to. This building will serve as a reminder of my rural roots on the few days a year that I will be able make the three-thousand mile trip back to the Northwest.

Here are some more links,
My Happy Place (Picasa).

24 comments:

Dana said...

beautifully done, and a Happy New Year to you.

Speedmaster said...

Fantastic, that place looks great!

Memphis88 said...

Very nice simile at the end there. Even though I have lived in Memphis all my life including college years, I am getting that same feeling due to the possibility of attending law school somewhere else. There's a good chance where I go to law school is where I will live post law school.

Brooke Williams said...

foster, i'm jealous. that little shack is wonderful, and so is everything you've put in it. those old yellow oregonian newspaper sleeves bring back so many memories of early morning paper routes while i was growing up in salem.

Anonymous said...

this is like the best fort ever

Foster Huntington said...

Brooke,
I am glad I help could bring those memories back. That Oregonian can is my favorite in the place.
Foster

Foster Huntington said...

Memphis,
it's a very strange realization to come to. It's very weird for me to think that that next time I come home will be for less than a week,
foster

J.P. said...

Very cool dude. Not exactly the same, but I feel the same way about my family's property in Vermont.

There is an old treehouse my dad built for my brother off in the woods and I have similar feelings.

Deb Oh said...

Great photos, and great blog!

Foster Huntington said...

Thanks you all for the kind words.

JP treeforts are best. i wish i had one to spend time in when i went home,
Foster

tons of land said...

great post. and a great series of photos. totally creates the nostalgia for that personal retreat everyone had as a kid to run away to and hide for a couple hours when you were young. particularly love the shots of the cabin itself.

Foster Huntington said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
nikole said...

I understand the sentiment, I'm nearing the end as well and I suppose it's inevitable that my visits home in the future will be increasingly infrequent and short. I'm mixed about it, sometimes really excited and other times well, a little surprised it's almost over.

Angelo R. said...

Looks like a great place to relax. Is it tucked away from the main house?

Foster Huntington said...

Angelo,
Its separated by about 15 feet.
Foster

Foster Huntington said...

Nikole,
I have mixed feelings about it as well. I love new experiences and seeing new places but at the same time, i will always miss my home,
Foster

Isaac Buie said...

Beautiful Foster, and totally inspiring. I've always been a suburbanite, but I love the country. Perhaps while you're away from home, sojourning to the country wherever you are will help to make you feel at home.

This is were to make orders: said...

Thanks for helping clean it out. Reminded me of how much fun it was to build......

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sutton said...

this looks like heaven!

sutton said...

this looks like heaven!

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