DROP STRUCTURES X KATHERINE HEIGL
The Mono+
Everyone needs their escape – maybe it’s a good book, your favorite pub, or a cabin in the woods where the stars shine like lanterns. Getting away from the chores and demands of life is important – especially if you’re an artist.
For Katherine Heigl, her escape comes with a paintbrush in hand and a blank canvas in front of her. But with a farm, a family and a career, her laundry list of to-dos seemed to seek her out in every corner of the house. She needed a separate space, one that would protect her solitude and inspire creativity – an artist’s escape.
A dedicated space for chasing stars
A successful, creative couple, Katherine and her husband Josh Kelley had endless options for her dedicated space – a renovation, an on-site, custom build, or even repurposing an existing building on their property.
But when Katherine saw our Mono on the Food 52 Blog, she was struck by the design, and reached out to us on Instagram.
A surprising collaboration
When you get a DM from Katherine Heigl, a few thoughts run through your mind:
Is this account verified?
Where did she hear about us?
We’re going to create something amazing together
From that first message, Katherine had a clear idea of what she wanted for her space – a bright interior filled with natural light where she could pursue her passion for art without being interrupted.
And when she shared her plan, we knew it would fit seamlessly with our design ethos.
With just a few alterations, we could shape our Mono into the art studio of Katherine’s dreams.
Designing an artist’s escape
When we jumped on a Zoom meeting with her and Josh to nail down the design, Katherine shared her full vision for the space, along with some architectural inspiration. After the call, we took everything they gave us and started sketching.
A few rounds of emails later, we’d dialled in a design that exceeded her expectations.
Katherine’s Mono+
Using the Mono as the foundation, we modified the design to incorporate Katherine’s requirements, which included:
Tons of natural light
A sink and storage
A bathroom
Architectural elements from the surrounding buildings
Our full-front glass, along with two sliding glass patio doors suffuse the space with natural light. At the back of the structure, we added a bathroom, storage for her tools, paints and canvases, including a built-in farmhouse sink. These amenities give Katherine the freedom to spend all day painting when inspiration hits.
To further lighten the space, we painted the interior, from cabinets to ceiling, a brilliant bright white. Not only does it contrast perfectly against the unit’s dark exterior, but it also naturally draws the eye to the all-black fixtures inside.
Pulling design elements from Katherine’s architectural references, as well as the couple’s current buildings on-site, we installed custom, solid-fir beams in the gable. With the wood flooring, siding and beams adding warmth, the design anchors the airy atmosphere with natural rustic details.
Big dreams come with big hurdles
One of the benefits of refining a design over years of iterations is the ability to pivot to meet new challenges. Most projects we take on come with some kind of obstacle, and for Katherine’s Mono+, the timeline was the largest hurdle to clear.
Katherine contacted us in early November to start the design process. Usually from this point, we give our clients a firm delivery date depending on their required timeline and on how busy we are. It typically takes 8 - 12 weeks to move from design to delivery, but Katherine and Josh wanted their building in time for Christmas. With only six weeks to design, create and deliver, this would be our fastest build yet.
Relying on an experienced, efficient team
From the very start, our Mono was designed to be assembled quickly. Over the years, we’ve streamlined our process by gathering a trusted team who can take raw materials and turn them into a DROP Structure almost overnight, without sacrificing quality.
So, our experience, combined with quality materials from our suppliers, allowed us to rise to this particular challenge with the confidence that we would meet our client’s expectations.
Prefab buildings demand efficiency, so, as soon as Katherine’s design was finalized, we immediately ordered every material we needed. Within weeks, the structure was up, but we were waiting for the Mono’s iconic front glass, which usually takes six weeks.
Managing expectations – mostly our own
The time the Mono+ sat there waiting for its glass were the longest weeks of our lives. Without suppliers we could trust, the stress would have been overwhelming.
We’ve always been quick to compliment our suppliers because they consistently deliver on the quality we need in the timeline required. Beyond that, we maintain an amazing working relationship with each one, which fosters trust. For this project, that trust was integral.
As stressful as the wait was, our supplier, Lux Windows promised to get us our glass on time, and we knew we could count on them. So when the glass arrived two weeks before Katherine’s delivery deadline, we jumped back in and finished the art studio with time to spare.
Ready to play
Before we wrapped the Mono to hit the road, we gave Katherine and Josh a video call for one last look at the new art studio. Walking through the unit, we could feel their excitement to finally see Katherine’s dream DROP Structure completed.
Just like every building we deliver, our team was on-site for installation. We arrived the morning of December 18th to get acquainted with the property and meet Katherine and Josh for the first time in real life.
Though it takes us away from our families to be there for each installation, we believe meeting the client face to face, and overseeing the installation is essential. Plus, we get to celebrate with them.
Placed and unwrapped like the perfect Holiday gift it was, Katherine is stoked to decorate her space, dive into her paint and create.