architectural design & accoutrements
douglas madaras
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Douglas Madaras lives and works with his wife Angela from their home and studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Douglas is a skilled maker who is known for his architectural features and art forms. His brand consists of award winning residential & commercial designs; positive uplifting retail items and personal art works.
His studio provides a fresh resource serving designers, commercial businesses as well as personal collectors.
Douglas' most noted local works include: Misty Valley - Frutig Farms, University of Michigan Hospital Gifts of Art installation and Detroit Home Magazine feature followed by a Detroit Home design award. -
Douglas has over 40 years experience working in and around construction trades and assorted projects. His self taught architecture and building skills speak volumes once one ventures into the realms of his work. All of his creations are original. He has worked closely with architects, engineers, designers, contractors and developers to insure his creations would meet all required specifications.
Douglas has mentored countless up and coming artists and works intimately with other established creative’s on joint projects.
From basement bars to penthouse condos; commercial & residential; historical to new construction, there are few areas Douglas has not had his hands in developing.
His work; his creative eye and designer-builder instincts continue to benefit clients of the past into the present.
With CAD, CNC and 3d modeling in his tool belt, Douglas offers a unique resource for those who require an out of the ordinary approach to their project needs.
Consultations are offered on a select basis. -
If one is to examine the works of Douglas Madaras, one of the most notable aspects would be his eye for detail. Not only in the structures but in how he adorns the spaces with functional elements that offer depth to his designs.
Many of his most reputable creations were derived from salvaged and found items that gained new life as details that would in turn become conversation pieces; lighting, displays, furniture and finishes.
Douglas has expanded his library of skills and creative expression via his CNC and 3d modeling capabilities. He is currently establishing a product brand, along with his wife/partner, Angela, by way of Madaras Design Studio.
Douglas’ creative skills and assets are made available to potential clients who are interested in original works- whether design, art; singular objects, short run production pieces. Original Madaras Design ‘accoutrements’ are a style all his own.
Koza
A meticulous owner of an up-scaled home needed a means to lower a newly built vaulted ceiling without loosing the spaciousness of the room. From literally top down, the project evolved from ceiling treatment, to great room, onto the kitchen and down into the basement. The design/build project became a feature cover and award winner.
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To compliment a wilderness view through expansive windows and wood grained ceilings of the main room, locally milled ash was used to sandwich laser-cut steel plates into a series of self-supporting trusses that were built in place. The trusses curved key joints along with iron rod suspension system helped soften the hard edge vault ceiling .
The combination of ash and darkened iron set the tone for the next layer of craftsmanship. An iron C-channel bolted beam helped bring the truss assembly elements closer to the main entry as a detail, sitting atop uniquely cut I-beam supports supported by framed stain glass walls.
Bringing the concept design onto the main floor and into the kitchen; the living room fireplace was wrapped with copper and stainless steel mesh. The kitchen range hood was custom fabricated from copper to match the hues of the wood and iron tones.
From the main floor to basement: The stairs lead down to a tee where to the left a barreled ceiling was created using ash wood and iron ribs. Hidden LED lighting wash up the rolled ceiling accenting textures and detail. To the right, a wine room with actual copper penny floor finish helps serve the needs of those who are mesmerized by the basement bar.
Basement Bar:
Ash joists were cut to match the curved floor tile and carpet intersection. The over-head joist detail is suspended from the ceiling and supported by stepped copper and textured arch walls with layered LED light wash. Iron and glass shelving accents the textured finishes.
Penney tiles were made and applied as a back splash. The copper motif continues to the base of the bar using copper pipes and fittings as foot rests.
This project was featured on the cover of Detroit Home magazine. The bar itself won second place in the their 15th Annual Detroit Home Awards .Click image for detail views.
Misty Valley - Frutig Farms
From a collapsing pre-civil war 1840’s barn to a top level wedding venue, Douglas Madaras and team resurrected and detailed a agricultural ruin into a highly sought after destination space; a memory maker for all that it serves.
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The concept for the space stood among the rotten falling timbers and within the collapse of the foundation supports below. The owner’s vision of a wedding venue was stronger than the structure itself.
The project began with shoring up primary columns and rock foundation walls at ground level. At the same time temporary cables were used to tie bowing upper level beams together and reseating beams in their respective pockets. As rotted floor and supports were removed it became easier to plumb and level surfaces by establish permanent cabling system along with splinting cracked beams with steel.
The roof line was a collar coaster which required quite a bit of shimming to get it leveled with clean straight lines. Thirty feet below, skilled rock masons rebuilt walls, much being done during the cold winter months.
The rear silo was deteriorated to a point where it was disassembled tile by tile. The eventual bar made from the base of the silo was ultimately covered by a custom truss system which contrasts the multi layered insulated wall siding and window details.
The interior was eventually adorned with a copper-top bar and a multitude of details using salvaged items found throughout the construction process. In time and with team work, The Valley was born from the rubble.
Douglas’ design management and building skills are a part of each of the three barn venues owned by Frutig Farms.Click image for detail views.
Zambra
The vision of nationally renown Chef Hector Diaz was that of a Moroccon themed tapas and wine bar with a gypsy flair- To be built in a crumbling basement of a downtown historic building. The layout and design was established in a design/build fashion that would eventually become a landmark restaurant with global reviews.
“One of America’s Most Romantic Resturaunts”
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Zambra-
His first steps into the dank dark dusty basement were met with the eye-stinging aromas of peppers aging in 55 gallon drums. Aside from years of accumulated debris and rat droppings Douglas could not foresee what would become of such a space. Thanks to the faith of his dear friend, Hector Diaz and the support of Public Interest Projects, Douglas was set on course to design and build the renown, Zambra- Wine & Tapas Bar of Asheville, NC.
The first phase was to establish the main bar and kitchen location. With a trusting building department on his side he was able to physically sculpt his way through the building process without blue prints to guide him and his team. Artisans were called in to faux finish the floors, walls and ceilings. Salvaged items were incorporated into the designs. Tin can custom lighting, a concrete bar and plastered forms, along with the circular front kitchen gave confidence to the powers-that-be enough so that an expansion was soon in order.
The flowing concrete bar was built in such a way that when the adjoining walls were penetrated, the existing bar and details were continued through the other side in a seamless fashion. Booths were created to look like crumbling walls; iron implements were embedded into the counter tops as if workmen from years gone by forgot their tools. The beer delivery system was routed through antique plumbing fixtures and pipes.
At Zambra’s street side entry a whimsical window offers a peak that attracts patrons from all over the world. Once through the front door, a suspended stone fountain greats them. The other side of the wood beam supported element is an alley eating area accessed by rustic hand built doors and stair steps.
With all descriptions made, they do no justice to the experience one has that Douglas Madaras created with the help of a trusting team and their faith in his works.Click image for detail views.
personal biography
douglas madaras
Douglas Madaras designs and builds landmark architectural spaces, features, functional design elements and sculpted forms. Asheville, North Carolina, has gained national and international recognition due in part to the purposeful hands and visionary eye of this popular Asheville to Ann Arbor artist-designer.
From concept to completion, form and function manifest in his one-of-a-kind public venues; restaurants, bars, salons, corporate offices, various retail canvases and event spaces - from abstract theaters to rustic barns. Douglas’ residential creations are considered livable art installations that comfort and intrigue. His palette consists of a broad range of materials to include laminates, woods, metals and assorted found and re-purposed objects. From barn gables to shredded tires, 'salvaged' items have played a key role in his art and designs through many years. Douglas’ handcrafted accoutrements: lighting fixtures, architectural details and commercial displays add to the cohesive nature of his spatial designs which inspire architects, artists and designers alike. His organic curves and straight industrial lines in both his contemporary and rustic works; his use of materials and spatial forms are considered signature traits by those who are familiar with his unique style.
Douglas is a self-taught artisan/designer. His hands-on diverse experience in the building trades contributes to his architectural and engineering know how. His natural creative assets along with his CAD and CNC skill sets contribute to him being a master of his own art form. His military background as a crash rescue firefighter is credited in part for his disciplined and collaborative approach to 'getting the job done’.
