A portrait of the house itself.
Drawn from a photograph and burned into wood. Given at a closing, a housewarming, or a fiftieth anniversary — it's the one gift that ends up on a wall instead of in a cupboard.
Ships wired and ready to hang. No frame needed — the panel is the piece.
Who these are for
The same object does four different jobs, depending on who is handing it over.
Real estate agents
A closing gift with your name burned into the edge, hanging in the client's hallway long after the transaction is forgotten.
Interior designers
Commissioned wall art scaled to a specific room, in a material that sits well against plaster, tile and reclaimed wood.
Property managers
Move-in and renewal gifts. The laser edition makes sense here, since you're buying by the building rather than one at a time.
Anyone giving a gift
A housewarming, a wedding, an anniversary, or the house someone grew up in and hasn't seen in thirty years.
Real houses, real addresses
Every one is drawn from a photograph of a specific building. No stock images, no templates.
Two ways to make one
Both start with the same original drawing. What differs is whether a hand or a machine puts it into the wood — and the price follows that honestly.
Hand-burned
- Ten to fourteen hours with the tip against the board
- Tonal shading — roof shadow, depth in the plantings, weight that varies line to line
- No two identical, and the small variations are the point
- Signed on the back
- Sizes up to 16 × 20
Laser-engraved
- Same hand-drawn artwork, cut into the wood by machine
- Uniform line weight, crisp and even throughout
- Consistent across a run — sensible for a building or a whole office
- Sold as what it is. A laser piece is never described as hand-burned
- Sizes up to 16 × 20
If you're commissioning one piece for one house, the hand-burned original is the thing worth owning. If you need twelve for a building or want a lower price point, the laser edition carries the same drawing at a fraction of the hours.
Why maple
A burn is not a line, it is a tone. The wood decides how many tones you get.
Maple's grain is tight and even, so the tip moves at one speed across the whole board. That is what holds window mullions, siding lines and roof shadow without going muddy.
- MapleStandard on both tiers. Pale, tight-grained, holds the finest detail at every size.
- BasswoodAvailable on request for larger runs. Softer and a shade warmer, slightly less fine detail.
- Not oak or pineHard and soft grain in alternating bands makes the tip skip and stall. Architectural detail comes out blotchy, so these aren't offered.
- Not walnutToo dark to burn against. The tonal range collapses and the drawing disappears into the board.
From photograph to wall
Send the photo
Paste a listing link, upload a shot, or text it. One straight-on exterior photo is all it takes.
Approve the drawing
A pencil layout comes back by email within three days. Say yes or tell me what to change.
It gets made
Burned by hand, or cut on the laser, then sanded, sealed and finished.
It ships ready to hang
Boxed and wired, with a card in your name if it's a gift.
Working to a closing date or a party? Hand-burned takes three weeks from approval, or ten business days with a rush. Laser editions ship in five business days.
Sizes and prices
Priced per piece, on maple, with personalised lettering included at no charge.
| Size | Hand-burned | Laser edition |
|---|---|---|
| 8 × 10Shelf, desk or a small wall | $250 | $100 |
| 11 × 14The one most people choose | $400 | $150 |
| 16 × 20Full architectural detail | $600 | $200 |
Five or more pieces: 10% off. Ten or more: 15% off. Rush build on a hand-burned piece adds $60. Shipping within the continental US is included. Trade accounts — agents, designers and property managers ordering regularly — are invoiced monthly rather than piece by piece.
The lettering is the part people touch
Every piece carries a line burned into the lower edge, in the same hand as the drawing. It is included, not an upcharge.
For a gift: the address, the family name, the year they moved in, or what the house is called. A named house gets its name.
For agents and designers: your name and firm, small and quiet, in the corner. It comes out of a marketing budget, so it should work like marketing — and a piece on a kitchen wall with your name on it outlasts any closing gift basket.
A named house gets its name. An address, a family name or a gift line all fit — around sixty characters.
Start an order
Fill this in and a drawing comes back for approval within three business days. Nothing is charged until you approve it.