Services
Disciplines
Additional Options
Other Tangents
Adventures in Strange Toilets
Whether you talk about it or not, toilets play a really big role in our daily lives. And sometimes, we come across some truly bizarre choices... not always bad. Here are a few that Jeff came across in his travels.
Learn more.Other Tangents
Designing in 3D with SketchUp
Dreaming of your perfect floor plan and sketching in a notebook is a fine tradition that I fully support. But, if you're tech savvy enough, I suggest taking it to the next level, downloading SketchUp, and having fun with your ideas. Take your dreams and use them as inspiration in communicating with your architect.
Learn more.Other Tangents
Steve Jobs as an Inspiration to Architects and Design
Steve Jobs, you'll be missed. You've inspired not only legions of software and hardware engineers, but architects around the world with your clear and focused passion for design. Here are some reasons why architecture and architects are better off for what he has done for the world.
Learn more.Ask a Designer
Bad Corners and Where to Transition Finishes
It doesn't seem like rocket science, but figuring out how to transition two different materials is something that is often done horribly wrong. Here's how to properly transition materials at corners and make your building vastly better looking.
Learn more.Ask a Designer, Custom Residential, Interior Design
Do the Shoes Match the Boards?
Do the shoes match the boards? As in, should the shoe on your baseboard match the baseboard or the floor? The baseboard! Here's how to ensure that you have nice, consistent baseboards and shoes that don't fight with your floors.
Learn more.Other Tangents
An Architect’s Thoughts on Hospital Rooms
When an architect ends up in the hospital, even then they keep on observing and judging the spaces they occupy there.
Learn more.Commercial, Custom Residential, Interior Design
How to Create Great Outdoor Rooms
Creating an outdoor room isn't hard, but creating a GREAT outdoor room in the Northwest has some unique challenges. Here's what to look for.
Learn more.The Business of Design
Strategic Planning: Charting the Course
Strategic planning is a process in which you identify your goals and how you're going to get there. Here is a list of the values and the vision that keep Board & Vellum humming, as of 2011.
Learn more.Ask a Designer, Custom Residential
How Big Should a Bedroom Be?
Planning a bedroom is a fun exercise of managing dimensions, rules of thumb, and practical advice. Here are our tips and guides for how to size a bedroom.
Learn more.Or, if chronology isn’t your thing…
Here are a couple of posts to get you started. Of course, it’s hard to choose, so feel free to poke around; we hope to have a little something for everyone. And, if you have a burning question you’d like us to cover in a future post, please let us know!
Considering a project, or curious about something?
Say hello, and send us your questions via the form below. We’re always pleased to make new connections, and eager to get to know you, your project, and your goals.

Honored as a finalist for residential landscape design.

Our team includes LEED-accredited professionals.

Our team includes certified Passive House consultants.

A Certified LGBT Business Enterprise Since 2016.

Honoring companies that lead in promoting equality.



