When the bottom fell out of the home construction market two years ago, it took Kevin Hurst, who built them, and his wife Tracy, who wrote loans for them, down with it.
The Annapolis family, including 7-year-old twins, had to move into what had been Hurst's business offices. Hurst then turned to building houses for a different type of clients.
Birds.
A perfectionist who promised buyers of his custom designs only that he would be slow, he returned to his wood-working shop where he could execute that attention to detail on whimsical, magical – and expensive - birdhouses that can now be found in as many homes as gardens.
"Everybody has always loved my birdhouses," said the soft-spoken 53-year-old craftsman. "They seem to make people, I don't know. Happy."
Even at prices ranging from $250 to $2,800, a man would have to sell a lot of birdhouses to make a decent living. Hurst's wife, his biggest promoter, found a way, sending a photo of his houses to the judges of The Philadelphia Flower Show, where only the best are invited to set up a booth and sell their garden wares.
Hurst nearly blew the invitation to last winter's show – he thought the caller was some kind of solicitor. And he and his wife had to hold a raffle (for a birdhouse, of course) and take a loan to raise the money they needed to go to Philadelphia.
But it lead to a coveted spot in the Chicago Home and Garden Show and now Hurst is busy with orders and has told customers they may have to wait several months for their custom-designed birdhouses.
"We really didn't know what to expect in Philadelphia," Hurst said inside the two-car garage that is now his perfectly neat workshop.
"Then we saw people literally stop – with no expressions on their faces – look at the birdhouses and a smile would break out."
Each birdhouse is made with poplar, a hardwood made to endure. The finials from which they hang are hand-turned mahogany. The fixtures are brass. The roof shingles are hand-cut copper sheeting. Each house is painted with exterior acrylic paint, distressed with bricks, chains or an awl, and then covered in two coats of the finish used on wooden boats.
These birdhouses are built to last.
"They can take any weather. They will last for years. I want them to be something the kids fight over after mom and dad are gone," he said.
Hurst's birdhouses – called Regal Roosts - present a couple of problems, and neither of those is the price.
"Nobody has commented negatively about the prices," said Hurst, who might spend 12 to 18 hours over several weeks on each house. "They tell me they can't decide which one they want. And they can't decide whether to put it inside or out."
Hurst took refuge in his workshop when the recession hit and his business life crumbled.
"I started building birdhouses 20 years ago when I was looking for a gift for my dad." But he had no thought of making a living doing it.
Again, wife Tracy stepped up, asking a shop owner in tony West Annapolis if she'd take a look at one of the houses.
"OK, I'll be nice," said Eileen Hoyland, owner of The Well-Dressed Nest on Annapolis Street. She was resigned to being simply polite.
"And then I saw them, and I thought, 'Now that's a birdhouse.' They are like the Ritz-Carlton of birdhouses. People are utterly charmed with them."
Hoyland has been a collector for years of MacKenzie-Childs, and she asked Hurst to build her two three-story birdhouses and paint them in the whimsical colors and geometric patterns for which the design company is known. Hurst took her suggestion, and it has been those colors and patterns that have carried his houses to a distinctive and memorable level.
The two houses he built for her sit outside her shop and she credits them with increasing the foot traffic. She sells his birdhouses, too, when he has time to make them for her.
"No one paints the houses like Kevin. He makes beautiful things," she said.
Each of the houses is signed and dated, and each is slightly different. He works seven days a week, 10 to 16 hours a day to keep up with orders.
"It's a labor of love," says Hurst, who laughingly estimates that he makes $2-$3 per hour.
He has one customer who has purchased two and wants five more by Christmas so he can trim a grand tree in his yard with nothing but Hurst's birdhouses.
"Most of the people who purchase these houses understand the quality of upscale merchandise for their homes," he said. Hurst has four birdhouses in his yard and four more decorate the living space above the workshop where he and his family now live.
"I make them and then I don't want to give them up," he said.
Hurst would like to hire help, but he doesn't want the birdhouses to leave his artistic control – something that happened when he was building houses for people.
"I never want them to look like someone mass-produced them in China," he said. "I love the Victorian style of houses. Now I can build all of them I want."
Inside or out?
Regal Roost birdhouses fit sweetly in that niche of home furnishings and design elements that look good in the garden or in the house and blend the boundaries between those two living spaces.
It's a trend that includes large planters, cement fruit baskets, stone pillars and more, says Richard Pawlik, co-owner of GoreDean, a home specialty shop in Mt. Washington. "These are things clients like because they can move them indoors in the winter and completely change the look," Pawlik says.
Here are some items and tips on how to use them to bring the outside in:
Pedestals or pillars. These can stand alone in the garden or in the home. Think about using a pillar to hold a large potted fern.
Wicker, wire, and wrought iron. Furniture made of these elements is designed for outdoor spaces. But a table, chair or art work can add a distinctive touch indoors.
Ornate or oversized planters. These hold everything vessels can carry off more than summer flowers. Consider planting several with a single small boxwood or other evergreen. They can add life to the deck or patio during fall and winter. Or bring them indoors for an unexpected green touch.
Garden stools. Chinese garden stools, made of ceramic or metal, can serve as side tables or seats.
Where to buy
Regal Roosts by Kevin Hurst of Annapolis. To receive a catalog of his birdhouses or place an order, call 410-263-4007 or 443-223-9500 or send e-mail to Hurst at info@regalroosts.com. Regal Roosts will be at the Maryland Home & Garden Show at Timonium Fairgrounds, Oct. 15-17.
The Well-Dressed Nest, 106 Annapolis St., Annapolis, 410-263-6860.
GoreDean, Historic Mt. Washington Mill, Smith Avenue, Baltimore, 410-323-7470.