Author Archives: okyay

Finding my WHY’s

I have spent thousands of hours developing methods to cut through these blocks. My greatest pleasure as a teacher is to see that look of confidence in the eye of someone who’s writing, drawing, or inventing a business which goes far … Continue reading

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mKieley: Studio Furniture Maker, Mentor & Arts Educator

After teaching for more than 25 years at universities and colleges in Los Angeles, I am now looking forward to the possibility of new teaching opportunities.  I was fortunate to create a course in art, innovation, and creativity skills, called … Continue reading

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Why I’m making breeze block screens out of the best plywood in the world…

I have been using a product called Finland Ply for about 30 years. It was originally created to be the strongest material for concrete forms, but also can make very nice furniture, work benches, and room dividers. I love the … Continue reading

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PS modern > Hi Desert

I moved to the Hi Desert in June ’20. I have always been fond of the Alexander modern tract homes, but spending more time walking through these neighborhoods, I wanted my place in the Hi Desert to evolve to a … Continue reading

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ADU Home Tour: LA Design Festival

I enjoyed the Home Tour of six new accessory dwelling units (ADU’s)  on June 22nd, organized by the LA Design Festival. The homeowners and architects were welcoming and informative.

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Thinking about the ‘sanctuary’ aspects of a home office.

I am designing a large home office for a client, which has me thinking about how I can make sure my home office is optimal.

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Schindler-esque

Rudolph Schindler has always been my favorite LA modernist. I’ve had a fondness for these asymmetric angular side tables for a long time. I’m working on my own variation, with softer curves, and instead of generic plywood, I’ll use one … Continue reading

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Sculptural Lights – part 3

We’ve been working on these for a long time. Thanks to a new toy, a laser cutter, we can precisely cut any shape we draw in Acrylic, and have it in our hand a few minutes later. By heating it afterwards … Continue reading

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Rapid Cabinet Making…

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Kitchen Dreams (not nightmares)

About our experience designing kitchens which we have made by local hi-tech fabricators, optimizing delivery time, cost, and quality. Continue reading

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