Yesterday I visited the workshop and offices of Wooden Window Inc., located in Oakland. As I was led through the spaces, there was the calming smell of saw dust, mixed with the jarring noise of machinery. It was marvelous! Everywhere I looked there was a window or door in some state of construction; from a door rail being planed, to a dutchman being prepared, to a final assembly being painted. And each window or door being built or repaired, had a story. I was intrigued to see a piece being created for the restoration of the Sunnyside Conservatory. Talking to the president of the company, Bill Essert, was such a pleasure as windows are one of my favorite topics of conversation. In the same way that Bill and his crew could make beautiful windows all day long, I could happily survey and document windows for hours on end. Hopefully one day we will be able to work together on a project. For anyone who has a project that involves wood windows or doors, call Wooden Window!
