Every project begins with a letter — a short note describing where the house is, when the work should begin, and what the room is asking for. Why the studio takes letters instead of consultation calls, and what a good first letter looks like.

A recent kitchen renovation in a 1928 Portland Craftsman — oak cabinets, unlacquered brass pulls from the Sourced register, honed marble counters, and one small pendant that pulled the whole room together. Notes on the spec, the substitutions, and the lessons.