Huntington Gardens - Shoya House

Our annual visit to the Huntington Gardens brought us to the new Shoya House Exhibit in the grounds adjacent to the Bonsai and Zen courts of the Japanese garden. It has taken only seven years to relocate this wood and clay house, section by section, using the same carpentry methods and hand tools as those used by the original craftsman. The house was built around 1700 and was both a family home and administrative center for the farming community.

Shoya house at the Huntington Gardens

Simple precise wood joints are held together by weight and through careful design without the need to add screws or nails. Our background as furniture makers gave us a deep appreciation of the hand planes, chisels and spoke shaves on display at the exhibit which are similar in function if not form to the old tools Martin brought with him from England.

 A comparison of the chisels used by the Japanese carpenter from those used in carving shows how that the Japanese tools had a straight acute end ideal for cutting a straight edge into wood used in making tightly fitted joints for beam and furniture construction. By comparison, most carving chisels have curved blades designed for removing and shaping wood. In both instances a mallet would have been used to hit the handle to help push the blade into the wood.

 A visit to the Japanese garden would not be complete without some shots of the amazing bonsai on display. The word “bonsai” is Japanese for “tree in a pot”. It describes trees that are grown and trained to appear as mature miniature replicas of tall older trees of the same species or as a collection of trees. The picture here shows bonsai “Goshin 111” designed by the well-known bonsaist, John Naka and it captures the shape of a small Juniper Forest with 11 trees.

To understand more I visited the site for the Golden State Bonsai Federation and learnt that Goshin 111 or” Spirit of the Guardian” is the third generation of this bonsai but one that closely follows the original design and represents John Naka’s children and grandchildren. In the 1990’s John Naka began training his 11 trees for Goshin 111 which was dedicated to the Huntington in 2001. Like all bonsai, the health of the soil and stability of the root system are key to its survival and must be constantly maintained and repaired. For this reason, only a prime selection of the collection is on display at one time with the balance being in various stages of restoration.

 Bamboo Corridor

There is no better way to approach the Japanese gardens than through the corridor of gently swaying bamboo shown below.

Our collection of plant cabinet pulls includes left and right facing sections of bamboo and a small bamboo stem.

The content of this post is based on information available at the Huntington Gardens site and the Golden Stare Bonsai Federation both well worth visiting.

CREATIVE NEW YEAR 2023

Our New Year’s goal is to continue to be creative and to share our ideas for original door handles and cabinet pulls with the design and home owner communities. We wish you all a Happy Healthy and Creative 2023 and look forward to helping you create inspiring settings.

These succulents, commonly known as red hot pokers brighten up our sidewalk where we planted them 7 years ago and where they thrive with minimal water. I am always amazed when they bloom as it is difficult to fathom how such intense color and beauty require such little sustenance.

Our bamboo cabinet pulls are also inspired by plants that thrive with little water.

Reflection of KAUAI Beauty in Martin Pierce Work

We have recently shared our Hawaiian cabinet pulls on Instagram so wanted to share some photos from our recent trip to Hanalei Bay in Kauai, HI.

Golden Palm with resting Red Headed Cardinal Bamboo Cabinet Pull cast in bronze

This was our first visit to the oldest and lushest of the Hawaiian Islands and we stayed on the north shore known for its sandy beaches, tropical forests and great hikes. We woke each morning to a chorus of bird song from native minor birds, red whiskered bulbuls and white rumped shama. The proliferation of bird life is a testament to the healthy habitat of this tropical gem that remains almost 80% un populated with many areas inaccessible to cars and to all but the most seasoned of hikers.

How many frogs do you see?

Thankfully, there were more accessible trails near Princeville including the Okolehao Trail, a 2.5 mile hike that climbs to 1,250 feet, which while muddy underfoot was home to a multitude of orchids, hibiscus and golden palm and bamboo. At the beginning of the trail we spotted a very well camouflaged frog which was especially rewarding as the arid conditions in our home, Los Angeles, have rendered frogs scarce in our local Nichols Canyon and Griffith Park.

There is one coastal road that takes you from Lihue to the remote and breathtaking craggy cliffs of Na Pali,  where on route,  tree lovers are rewarded with the sight of hundreds of Koa ,Eucalyptus and native Pine trees. The Koa trees are part of the acacia family and have wonderful airy feathery canopies that reminded me of the tree canopy used in our Hedgerow style of door handles.

Princeville is also the location of the St. Regis hotel and we stopped by to see how well our

custom Hawaiian door handles are holding up to the local weather and I am pleased to report that after 8 years they have developed a rich deep brown patina with a touch of verdegris.