Myrica pensylvanica, also known as bayberry, candleberry, and wax myrtle, is a native species that has long grown across the dunes and woods of the Outer Cape. Unfussy, it tolerates sun or shade, drought, poor soil, and salt spray blowing off the ocean and bay. Myrica pensylvanica makes its own fertilizer, balancing nitrogen as roots […]
Home / Making
Inspiration for the crafty, projects for the practical, spaces for dreamers.
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DOVETAIL JOINT
Taking the Landscape Into Account
Advice on sitework from Thomas and Chad Edwards
The question: We renovated our modest cottage in Wellfleet to make it our year-round home. But now that the job is done, we are wishing we had thought more about the site itself. The construction was hard on the surrounding landscape. What could we have done differently? How do we start setting things right without […]
craft
Once a Boy With Toys, Now a Master Metalsmith
Lucas Burnley’s ‘Cypops’ benefit local tots
ORLEANS — You’re 16 years old, into metalwork, and a fan of “Rambo.” Choosing your first project at welding school is easy. “You make a knife,” says Lucas Burnley of his initial foray into the hobby that would become his trade. Growing up outside Albuquerque, N.M., in a “super outdoorsy” family and at a time […]
DOVETAIL JOINT
A Golden Rule for Your Old Windows
Advice from Outer Cape builder Raymond Roderick
The question: Now that the weather has turned and the wind picked up, a lot of people notice that their casement windows are getting older. Cranks are tough to turn, some of the seals are not as tight as they used to be, and more. They may have spent good money on them a few years […]
dovetail joint
Can We Carve Out Space Without Adding On?
Advice from the builders of the Outer Cape
The question: We have two grandchildren and a third on the way, so we are thinking of adding a playroom space to our home. The problem is, we can’t add on. What is the best way for us to gain space, given our tight lot? We do have a full basement that is just used […]
dovetail joint
What’s Wrong With the Weathered Look?
The Independent’s Q&A with the builders of the Outer Cape
The question: When we had our deck built, we were told it would last forever. But each year a few more boards crack or rot and they’re expensive to replace. I suspect it’s not real mahogany. What do you think? Please don’t tell me to treat it. The whole idea was that this expensive hardwood […]
