Shop Talk Partner Website

WHEN TALENTED PROFESSIONALS TALK, WE LISTEN.

Admit it, you have an inquiring mind,​ and you want to know about the team building your PARK CITY dream home. ​We understand the inclination. So we decided to bring you Shop Talk, conversations with the talented pros designing, building, and outfitting your homes.

Dwelling
Kate Binger

Kate Binger began her design career in Los Angeles and continued it when she moved to Jackson Hole, 12 years ago. Her new showroom and office in Osprey Landing at 1921 Moose Wilson Road is her home base, but she and her team take on projects all over the country. They are a small team of four and she is hands-on with every project they design.

What inspires you?
My deepest inspiration is derived from designing a home congruent with my clients’ lives. Usually, what inspires them also inspires me. In 15 years, I would say that this is the case most of the time. I greatly enjoy getting to know my clients, how they like to live and what inspires them. From this, I devise most of the design. I am probably a touch more partial to function over form regarding furniture. Then, art and lighting fixtures are where I like to bring in the most funk.

For example, in one of my most recent projects, there was a painting passed down from the client’s grandfather and the client’s attraction to Pendleton blankets, which inspired the entire palette. Meaningful pieces like this can make a home so much more magical!

What IS YOUR FAVORITE STYLE?
Clean lines fused with bohemian eclectic style makes me the happiest. I enjoy simple softness throughout the home, but no clutter, please! And anytime I can launch an entire project with artwork and rugs, I am the most excited about how that home will evolve.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A FAVORitE TRIP YOU’VE TAKEN?
I visited Tanzania for three weeks in 2017. The inspiration that I gained from that experience is endless. In relationship to design, I  learned  that all over the world, people want to feel comfortable in their homes, no matter what kind of home that may be. Our freedom is a gift that needs to be cared for with deep gratitude—freedom to explore the world, freedom in business since we have a multitude of work options, freedom in where we live and even in the dwelling we choose to inhabit.

WHAT PRODUCTS have YOU FounD THAT YOU ARE MOST EXCITED ABOUT AND WHY?
After my trip to Tanzania, I started working with the Shanga Art Center, which employs more than 70 people with a variety of disabilities. Their blankets are handmade on a loom, with a lovely and soft organic cotton. I now am carrying nine different colors of these blankets, sending 100% of the profits back to Shanga to assist them in employing more people.  http://www.shanga.org/ourstory/

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE METHOD OF MAKING A BE D?
My favorite way to make a bed is pairing sheets with a sheet duvet, a simple colorful or textural bolster against the sleeping pillows, and a blanket folded at the base of the bed. My design with Shanga enabled me to find this layering blanket that fits any size bed, and helping create jobs along the way. The throw size is terrific for sofas and even outdoor fire pit time. Because of the construction and fiber, they wash easily. My dog has a special one that lives in my car, and believe me, she has put it to the test, especially during our mud season!

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO TELL US ABOUT THESE UNIQUE BLANKETS?
It is easy for me to stand behind these products because of their beauty, comfort, and most importantly, the opportunities that they create for the people of Shanga.

---

JB Mechanical Plumbing & Appliances
Cindy King

For over 40 years, JB Mechanical Plumbing & Appliances has been a local family-owned and -operated business. It is comprised of two divisions, plumbing and appliances, with showrooms to view the top brands and models. JB employs 25 people year-round whom they consider to be family. They have the knowledge and expertise to assist, in any way needed, during the process of remodeling, upgrading, or building new homes.

What services do you offer?
Both our plumbing and appliance divisions offer consulting, sales, service, and installation of the brands we know and trust to be of high quality.

What geographic area do you serve?
We offer services throughout Teton County, Sublette County, Fremont County, the National Parks, and anywhere we can get to, even if it is by snowmobile or snowcat.

Do you have any special certifications or specialties?
JB Mechanical is an authorized dealer of Sub-Zero/Wolf, Miele, Kohler, Rohl, Dornbracht, and most other major brands. We are also certified installers for most appliance brands, and our appliance service tech is certified for everything residential, including refrigeration. The plumbing division is certified for gas installs, backflow prevention, and water treatment with our own master plumbers in-house.

What inspires you?
Our inspiration comes from many areas—from our clients to designers to new, innovative products. We are inspired to give our clients the homes they will love and enjoy for many years.

How do you see your field changing in the next five to ten years?
With ever-evolving technology, we all enjoy the new products and innovation in the market to make life simpler for all involved.

What specialties do you offer?
We are a worldwide distributor of the best camping accessory ever, the Wilson Grill!

What other specialties do you have in-house?
We are known for providing the highest quality American-made products to our clients with compassion and pride, knowing that the water and sewer lines will hold up for years to come. Some of our favorite products are the Sub-Zero/Wolf brands and Kohler.

What tricks of the trade have you learned over the years that you’d be willing to share with us?
Hire a professional, never try to do it all, and trust each trade in their respective fields of expertise.

What word(s) do people use to describe your work?
This is a loaded question, but I hear, “WOW, I cannot believe you got that to fit” and, “WOW, I cannot believe you got that to work” a lot.

What is the most exciting new product or development in your field?
The in-home plumbed coffee machine by Miele is the most innovative product I have seen and is enjoyed by everyone who owns one. It has quickly become the favorite appliance.

What do you enjoy most about your line of work?
We love our clients and are excited when they get to enjoy the new products we have installed. We love kitchens and bath-rooms (who doesn’t?).

How did you get your start?
We are too old to remember how we started but we are a third-generation company with hands-on experience passed down from generation to generation.

If you weren’t in your field, what would you be doing?
We would all be professional fishermen. All of our employees love the water, camping, and the outdoors.

What do you listen to while you work?
The creek flowing on the other side of the street.

What places in the world do you find most inspirational and why?
Jackson Hole, Wyoming! The best place in the world. We enjoy meeting people from all over the world and we get to meet them all here…why go anywhere else?

what is your Favorite season?
Construction/camping season. We work hard during the week, so we can play hard on the weekends. It is just nice to get away with our families (co-workers) and enjoy each other’s company.

What do you enjoy most about living and working where you do?
I do not think there is enough space in the magazine to list the reasons we enjoy being where we are, but if I had to name a couple, it would be the different seasons and the opportunity to enjoy each one.

---

beyond wood
Bill Amaya

After working in the construction and cabinetmaking industries for decades, Bill Amaya established Beyond Wood, formerly known as Cimarron Lofting Inc., in 1998 with the goal of bringing state-of-the-art fabrication techniques to the craft of cabinetmaking. With superior customer service, advanced technology, decades of experience, and a can-do attitude, Beyond Wood has worked on some of the nicest projects in the Northwest. Their commitment is to provide the highest quality products and fair pricing, while enjoying their clients and the process.

What services do you offer?
Dream realization. We work with clients to turn their design ideas into reality. You could think of us as an architectural wood-working company building stairways and cabinets, but really it is so much more than that. With decades of design and fabrication experience, we offer a number of methods for clients to fully realize their projects. Three- dimensional modeling to see the project before it is built, digital measuring to integrate the real world with state-of-the-art methods of building, 3D printing, and a fully-equipped wood-working plant.

What geographic areas do you serve?
We currently have projects from Vail, Colorado, to Seattle, Washington.

Describe your process.
Clients, contractors, and architects bring projects to us and the design state can be anywhere from sketches on the backs of napkins to full architectural drawings. We then produce a three-dimensional model. This allows all stakeholders to see the project from any angle, up close or far away. A picture is worth a thousand words; a 3-D model is worth three thousand words. Occasionally we build mock-ups. Often, designs get modified and enhanced. Budget and ease of building are in play during this step of the process. Other collaborators are brought in to the process. Getting their feedback early in the process is critical. The fun really begins when we release a project into the shop. We combine traditional woodworking techniques, hand work like carving, and traditional machine work with computer numerically controlled (CNC) robotic methods. The capabilities of our five-axis CNC router are game-changing. Cost-effective and able to produce complicated parts, it is the backbone of our operation.

What projects are you most proud of?
We have built 50 or so circular stairways, and each of those has been challenging and rewarding. Challenging to figure out and craft the crazy shapes involved. Rewarding when complete in seeing a multi-story sculpture that you can walk upon. We have a reputation for taking on technically challenging projects, from motorized, curved, sliding wall systems to cabinets with motorized drawers and stainless steel tops, to commercial clothing store displays. It is extremely satisfying to develop solutions and communicate, collaborate, and execute those solutions. I am really proud that our clients trust us to help them with these projects.

What makes the difference between a good house and a great house?
That is a little like grasping at the morning fog. We have worked on homes that inspire awe because of their grandeur, great rooms that are indeed great, with beams and rock work on a scale that stops you in your tracks. We have worked on homes that embrace a person with modest, human-sized rooms that contain well-thought-out features. We worked on a home in Sun Valley that had a view of the ski mountain from virtually every room. We have collaborated on a few homes where the architect has been divinely inspired and where the shape of the rooms, the size and placement of the windows, and the orientation of the home so are “right” as to leave us speechless. But I think the perfect home is one where you hear a little music in the background, punctuated with laughter, surrounded by the smell of food on the stove. A home that invites you in and surrounds you with the comfort of fine materials proudly crafted. A house where you are safe and loved . . . what more is there, really?

What is the most exciting new product in Your field?
I have been home building from the day when electrical saws and air-powered nail guns were just beginning to replace handsaws and hand nails. And through the years I have seen the entire industry incrementally improve in nearly every aspect. But the biggest innovation in my lifetime has been the development and integration of computer-aided manufacturing.

Ever since the founding of my company, we have embraced technology as a core competitive imperative. We have utilized computer numerically controlled robotic fabrication for over 15 years. It has been a revolutionary change. That technology has changed the accuracy of our products, ease of fabrication, and ability to make very complicated products- even how we think about making a product. In the old days if you got 100,000 miles and 10 mpg from your car that was good. Now we routinely see cars with a quarter-million miles and 30 mpg.

That improvement is the result of much better fabrication techniques and tolerances. Home building, cabinet- making, and stair-building are all seeing comparable or better improvements, also due to better fabrication techniques. At the heart of that quantum leap forward is the advent of computer-aided manufacturing. We work every day on being the best craftsmen and craftswomen we can be. Being the best we can be means embracing this incredible new technology.

What is the biggest challenge about Your work?
Finding, training, and nurturing the next generation of craftsmen. Our society does not necessarily place the lifestyle of crafting and building at its pinnacle. There are some truly amazing and talented young makers out there. The challenge is to find them and help them grow, while simultaneously offering our clients the very best in quality and value.

What is your favorite sport?
Bicycle riding. Really anything with one or two wheels—unicycle, motorcycle, bicycle. My spouse thinks I have a bike “problem,” just because I used to own 10 bikes. It is just a great sport and hobby. I ride mountain bikes, fat bikes, recumbents, and I’m working on riding a unicyle. Biking allows me to get outside, see amazing areas, and get some exercise. One of the nice things about biking is that it does not hurt. I can go out and ride for hours without being sore the next day. Mountain biking gets me out into the backcountry, to places I may not go otherwise. My fat bike has added to my winter enjoyment in a very big way. I also like to wrench on my bikes. Bicycles are so nicely made that they are a pleasure to work on. As a hobby, biking is relatively inexpensive. Once you own your bike you can ride for months with no further expense. I have a couple of bikes from 1996, and one of them I ride almost daily.

What is a book that you would recommend?
I love reading. Jon Krakauer, Malcom Gladwell, Nassim Taleb, Daniel Kahneman, Michael Lewis, and Norman Maclean are a few of the authors whom I have read. Digging into a subject deeply is fascinating to me. But I also like fiction. The sci-fi book Nexus was a good read as was Wool. The Emerald Mile was also a great read. I am a fan of Neil Stephenson as well, although starting one of his books can be a real commitment. I don’t think I can narrow it down to just one book, however. Give me a good story, well-written, and I am happy.

---

JACKSON MATTRESS SHOP
Ken Harris

The Jackson Mattress Shop & Furniture Company has been in business for almost 25 years. They offer exceptional products including Sealy Posturepedic and Stearns & Foster mattresses, as well as Flexsteel sofas.

Just recently, the company started a new service for homeowners and property management companies to help reduce allergens in all mattresses. The founder, Ken Harris, is involved in every aspect of the business and handles management, purchasing, sales, and finances.

What services do you offer?
We offer custom fitting of mattresses, help in choosing the design of furniture, assist with coordinating deliveries, and we also have a new, all-natural mattress cleaning service.

What geographic area do you serve?
We serve Teton County, Wyoming, Idaho, and we even go as far as Pinedale and Dubois.

What inspires you?
Helping our customers with a special process to find the perfect mattress inspires us. We focus on each customer’s specific needs to help them get the best night’s sleep.

What project are you most excited about right now?
We are very excited about our new, exclusive, all-natural mattress cleaning process! We have special machines and cleaning products to reduce allergens and to help kill and remove dust mites in mattresses. Even a mattress that is a few months old can have dust mites, and if you suffer from allergies, your mattress could be the problem! Our all-natural, essential oil-based treatments leave your mattress clean and refreshed.

What other specialties do you have in-house?
Great people! All of our sales associates are trained to help our customers find the perfect mattress for their specific needs, and to keep those mattresses clean.

Do you have favorite products you prefer or are known for?
Our Stearns & Foster mattresses and our Flexsteel sofas are great products. This year’s lineup includes some of the best products I’ve seen in 23 years.

What words do people use to describe your work?
Just recently, I had a customer tell me that she really appreciated our knowledge and experience in helping her find the right mattress.

What do you enjoy most about your line of work?
I enjoy helping my customers sleep better so they can play harder.

How did you get your start?
In the late 1980s I was delivering for Mountain House, and then I left to go to college in California. When my son Mikey was about two years old, I took a job selling furniture at Mountain Comfort so that I could move my family back to Jackson. Within a couple of months, the manager position came open for A Mattress Shop. Eventually I purchased the company and turned it into Jackson Mattress Shop & Furniture Company. Mikey is now a personal trainer at Round One Gym and Axis gymnastics.

if you could own any three “toys,” what would they be?
I have a Harley and a boat. I’m just missing the plane.

What is sure to make you laugh?
Politicians.

What’s on the top of your list as a great getaway?
Anywhere on a beach.

What was the best trip you have ever taken?
Going to Morocco and then ending my trip in Paris.