Adding correct knees braces to my post and beam studio

My new studio in Vermont features classic post and beam construction. The original owner never finished the space and had 2×4 and 2×6 boards nailed where the knee braces should have been. So my new friend Stu, who is a wooden kayak maker, helped out. He brought over some thick slabs of rough-cut pine and cut out the tenons on the braces to fit into the notches that were already in the posts. He got all the geometry correct, drew the profile on the boards, then cut them out on the band saw. The braces were tapped into the notches and then joined to the beam above.

The new pine was much whiter than the old reclaimed wood. This simply didn’t feel right to me as I’m all about the details. I applied several different stains, each with different properties, layering them on to create the effect of time. I worked very hard to match the color and spirit of the posts.

The first photo shows one of the two braces the original owner made on the corners near the front door. After these, he stopped. Stu matched the new ones to these and it really made a difference in the feel of the space! Thanks so much Stu, and Phil, my contractor. You guys are the best.

Now…who’s going to come visit?

-Scott