1" Hole These one-of-a-kind bird houses are made from reclaimed wood, kept in as-found colors and textures. Roofs are old sheet metal, primarily textured ceiling tin. Hardware, such as hinges, hooks, and latches, are old and rusty.They are completely functional. Each has a reinforced hook for hanging outdoors and a thicker floor for easy mounting on a pole in the garden. A hinged and latched access door for easy clean-out of last year’s “birdie stuff” is built into each house.Their unique design and construction make them look just as good indoors as decorative pieces of primitive folk art. Rich Kreibs’ work is inspired by a lifelong interest in primitive antiques and found objects. A retired engineer, Kreibs inherited his creative sensibilities from his mother, a commercial artist and painter, and his grandfather, a metal crafter. Wood became his medium of choice. Kreibs gathers reclaimed wood and materials from roadside finds, demolition sites, flea markets, and antique shops, incorporating their natural colors, textures, and histories into his work. No new paint is applied. Each piece is designed from his own patterns and carefully assembled to create one-of-a-kind folk art, including the birdhouses featured here and a variety of other decorative works.
