Welcome to summer, the most magical time of year along the North Shore. We like to think of long days, sunny skies, warm breezes, and being outside. But summer magic also includes misty mornings, foggy days, and chilly evenings. Those are times when nothing could be better than sitting next to a crackling fire, warming toes, nose, and heart, at the hearth.

This spectacular custom stone mural is at the heart of the North Shore retreat we finished out. We invite you to pull up a chair.  Take a look at the scenery created to bring the magic of the outdoors inside, into the heart of this cozy retreat.

Stained Glass in Stone

Stone artisan, Larry Beaumont, of Beaumont Stoneworks in Duluth, created this beautiful mural. Think stained glass in stone. Beaumont uses a combination of stone, glass and tile for a full range of colors and textures.

About his process, Beaumont states, "I always start with a sketch (okay, several). Then I select each piece and color from a wide variety of stones and glass. I cut thin veneers of varying thickness, depending on the 3D effect I’m trying to achieve."

Beaumont uses a computerized water jet cutter to cut the individual "puzzle pieces".

Cozy Nook

You may notice the cozy nook to the right of the hearth. This is a modern take on the Scandanavian "wall bed," which we left open to allow light from the window into the kitchen and living area.

Our clients are delighted with the space, and the grandchildren have the perfect nook to settle in with a book. Can you imagine enjoying a space like this?

We'd love to help you create a little magic in your own space whether you are thinking of a building or remodeling project. Let's get creative together and discuss design options to include any magic you can imagine. There are no limits!

Call us to discuss your dream ideas: 218.722.7599

Happy summer, everyone! Summer to us is a precious commodity. Its  hallmarks are trips to the cabin, gardening, walking in the wilderness, and simply sitting on a porch enjoying the view.

A Porch Addition, the Perfect Summer Project

Take a peek at a perfect summer project--a porch addition we are currently working on at a cabin nestled on the shores of a lovely little lake in northern Wisconsin.

Precision Prefabbing Magic, the key to this Porch Addition

Our own Andy Hoffman, the original 3-D Printer, prefabricated the porch  in our shop. Andy perfectly crafted each piece to fit together like Lego pieces.  He loaded the parts and brought them to the cabin site, where we assembled them.

You can check out previous summer prefabbed projects here and here.

Warm summer breezes, whispering pines, the gentle lapping of the lake waters...  ahhhh. Stay tuned and we will meet you on the porch!

What could be better than a North Shore retreat, nestled in the woods of Northern Minnesota? We finished out the interior of an amazing timber frame structure, making the stairway entrance a focal point of this haven.

Using a mix of classic and modern Scandinavian design, we created a cozy space with warm woods and hand-finished metal accents. Here we offer a glimpse of the stairway, which leads from the ground floor entry to a light-filled getaway.

Locally Grown, Sustainably Harvested

The custom steps were created for the space by Minnesota Timber and Millwork (MTM), part of Rajala Companies. John Rajala carries on the third generation of tradition, focusing on sustainably harvesting locally grown species of wood. Rajala saws all harvested wood in their historic mill in Big Fork, MN--the longest continually running saw mill in the state.  Rajala continues conservation efforts begun by Jack Rajala in the early 70s. You can read more about those visionary efforts here.

 

The Divine is in the Detail

Each of these giant white pine treads measures 4 inches thick and 12 inches deep. We used Rubio Monocoat in clear to preserve the golden hue of the pine.

Now take a closer look at the risers. The delicate stencil pattern draws the eye up the stairs to the airy apartment haven above. The charming detail hints at Scandinavian scroll work design which is echoed throughout the living space.

We will be sharing more details from the interior of this North Shore retreat in coming weeks. Be sure to stay tuned...

Contact us to discuss your divinely inspired ideas. We'll help you bring them into this dimension! 218.722.7599

 

We are excited to partner with a group of students from the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. We're working together on updating and streamlining a "hot box" that tests materials for performance to meet our extreme climate conditions here in the Northland.

The project originated six years ago when Meteek & Co. offered UMD students an assignment to create a "hot box" to test the insulative qualities of window and wall sections, or basically any individual material. As part of their combined senior project, these students built, wired, and wrote the programming for this testing instrument. The project continues with a new group of seniors who will graduate this spring.

This year the students are working with faculty mentor Jose Carillo. They will be updating the original Hot Box, a 7 foot plywood box on wheels with thermocouples. The box holds materials, such as window section, firmly in place. A program runs a freezer on one side and an oven on the other to create the thermocline necessary for the test. Results are recorded for each testing cycle.

Superior Windows for our "Superior" Climate

Springtime in Duluth never ceases to surprise and delight us! It snowed again overnight, but the temperature continues to rise today with a strong chance of rain. Who knows what next week will bring?

Snow in April, rain in June, temperatures reaching over 100°F in August, and plummeting to -30°F in January? Duluth has a veritable smorgasbord of weather extremes, from humid heat, to driving rains, to bone-chilling cold. Developing technologies and employing materials to shelter us from such extremes is our passion!

Here in the Northwoods, windows offer us both stunning vistas and protect us from our  unpredictable environment. No small wonder we are so excited to see further development of technology to test materials for thermal conduction and insulation.

For nearly 20 years, we've been using Accurate Dorwin fiberglass windows. Made in and inspired by the punishing prairie climate of Winnipeg, Canada, Accurate Dorwin provides leading edge technology in today's window industry, developed specifically to address harsh conditions.

Researching Solutions for our Extreme Climate

We are accustomed to such climate extremes. And we continue to strive to find the best high-performance materials available to meet our climate challenges. If we can't find it, we work towards creating solutions!

Good luck with this project, students! Many thanks for helping Meteek & Co. to continue innovating solutions for our tough climate.

We are partnering with Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Students from UMD to continue innovating solutions to our tough climate.

 

 

Thermally Modified Wood Elements have been on our minds a lot these days. At Meteek & Co, we make many thermally modified wood elements, from lighting to doors to parklets!

Randy visited with Ryan Arola of Arola Architecture Studio, where we created and installed gorgeous suspended light fixtures made of thermally modified wood.  They talked about this ancient process which hearkens back to the Viking Era. It was used to harden spear handles and longship parts. Here it's been used to create this intimate parklet located at First Street and 2nd Avenue West.

What is Thermally Modified Wood?

Thermally modified wood's naturally enhanced beauty, weather-resistance, and eco-friendly qualities make it a great choice for exterior projects, especially in our unpredictable environment. Its darkened and intensified wood grain, achieved through high-temperature treatment, makes it a beautiful option for interior use.

You can check out a thermally modified wood entry light fixture at Joseph Nease Gallery at 23 W 1st St, Duluth. We built and installed the fixture there before the gallery opened in November of 2017.

The new Kenwood Branch of Harbor Pointe Credit Union opened its doors in December of 2017.  Prominently featured in the central space is this striking thermally modified wood element. It is treated with Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus in Silver Grey which gives an understated, weathered look while beautifully highlighting and enhancing the dramatic wood grain. The dividers at the teller counter have this same treatment.

Thinking of a Remodeling Project? Think Thermally Modified Wood!

This stunning door graces the wall of a garage remodel project undertaken by Meteek. It is now the entrance to a lovely little studio and bike storage in a Duluth neighborhood. The addition of this thermally modified wood wall with door magically transforms the look and feel of this former garage.

Andy completed this door in our shop last week. (Be sure to check out the post on our Meteek Supply Facebook page.) A local business will feature this gem in an upcoming project. We can't wait to share details with you! Stay tuned...

Contact us at Meteek & Co with your ideas about Thermally Modified Wood Elements: 218.722.7599

 

We finished out the interior of an amazing North Shore retreat. Using a mix of classic and modern Scandinavian design, we created a cozy apartment with warm woods and hand-finished metal accents.

Earlier this summer we posted photos from fabricating two conference tables for a client. They are installed in their new home, with a fresh sheet of glass over the walnut surface.

We installed pop-up electrical and data grommets into the table surfaces to ease connections for presentations and teleconferencing. Below are photos of the 18' table - what a great view!

Mako takes in the ferry crossing.

We put up the boat garage on Madeline Island this week.

Packing a mobile shop into two vans, we drove and ferried over to the island. We had a bit of rain the first morning, but the pieces went together like Lego thanks to Andy's precision prefabbing.

It was a 2-day, true barn-raising event, complete with camping, dogs, and meals on the screen porch, thanks to neighbors Sally and Chris. It will take another trip or two to finish, keep posted!

      

 

We have a project on Madeline Island this summer, and to ease the logistics, we thought we'd do some prefabbing.

Madeline is the largest of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. In the summer you take a ferry from Bayfield. In the winter you can drive over on the ice road

The project is a boat garage. Below are images of building the walls and 12'-high swinging door in our shop. Andy's welding talent was put to use on the aluminum-framed door. He made the hinge mounts out of aluminum too, each piece perfectly crafted.

We loaded up two trailers of "parts" to be taken to the island before we go over to build.
       

 

 

Last winter we designed and fabricated two conference tables --  18' and 10' versions of a sleek, diamond design of walnut with sturdy steel legs. Although they are powerfully built to assist heavy-duty meetings, the surface floats gracefully above the conference-room hoopla.

Andy was again the star of the welding rig, with Mark Lachecki masterminding the woodwork. Everyone helped out on this one.

We will post some photos of their new home later this summer. Enjoy!