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PSA: A client in Denver said my post caps looked like 'little hats' and now I always use a flush cut.
They pointed out the overhang on a cedar fence I built last fall. Anyone else get a comment that made you change a small detail permanently?
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torres.blair2mo ago
Ever read that thing about how once you see a design flaw you can't unsee it? My neighbor told me my deck railing balusters looked like prison bars because they were spaced too evenly. Now I mix up the spacing just a tiny bit on every section. It's a five minute fix that makes the whole thing look less factory made.
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mark_thompson2mo ago
Honestly, did you try painting them a darker color too? That helped break up the lines on my porch.
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skyler_robinson22mo ago
That "little hats" comment would drive me nuts. Had a client call my deck stairs "military precise" once, which sounds good but they meant it looked stiff. Now I always vary the overhang on the treads by like an eighth of an inch. It takes no extra time and the whole run looks more natural, less like a machine made it. That tiny bit of irregularity makes a huge difference in the final feel.
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paige_robinson2412d ago
My uncle used to say the same thing about my fence posts. Back when I started out, I thought tight and even was the way to go. "They're posts, they're supposed to be straight," I'd tell him. But that "little hats" comment is exactly right. I finally gave in after the third time someone mentioned it. Now I take an extra thirty seconds on each post to break the edge with a rasp or just let the cut be a hair off. It's like you're adding a tiny bit of character that makes it look like a person built it, not a robot. That little bit of personality makes everything feel way more intentional.
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