It's Been a While...

It's funny how creativity works.

Sometimes it's a constant stream of ideas. Other times... it goes quiet. Apparently, mine decided to take a very long coffee break.

Designed with a Hammer has been sitting a little quieter than I ever intended. Life, work, and about a hundred other priorities found their way to the front of the line. Before I knew it, years had gone by without picking up a camera, a paintbrush, or sharing a project.

Then, as homeownership often does, life reminded me that projects don't exactly wait for inspiration.

A hot water tank decided it had lived a full life (far less than it was supposed to) and emptied itself where it definitely wasn't supposed to. While putting everything back together and giving walls a fresh coat of paint, I ended up thinking about Designed with a Hammer.

Funny enough, those little projects did something bigger — they reminded me how much I enjoy making a house feel like a home.

That spark got even bigger during a trip to the Restoration Hardware Outlet with my mom as we're always looking for the "deal."

If you've ever wandered through one, you know it's equal parts inspiration and treasure hunt. Tucked into one corner were two outdoor sofa cushions. Practically brand new. Marked down to... $75.

Two cushions.

No sofa.

Most people probably walked right by it.

But we saw the start of my next project.

Instead of trying to find furniture to fit the cushion (which we tried to piece together with a coffee table from the Crate & Barrel Outlet), why not build the furniture around it?

So that's exactly what's happening.

Over the next few posts, I'll be designing and building a custom outdoor loveseat from scratch — sized specifically for this lucky Restoration Hardware find. It'll be a mix of woodworking, problem solving, and probably a few mistakes along the way (because that's usually how the best projects happen).

Sometimes all it takes is one unexpected find — and a reminder that creating something with your own hands is still one of the most rewarding things you can do.

I'm excited to dust off the tools, fire up the saw, and start building again.

Let's get back to work, friends!