Live Virtual Workshop with Gary M. Katz
Saturday, August 8th | 9:00–11:00am Pacific
Exclusively for those who pre-order the book!
American Mantelpieces
A Carpenter’s Introduction to Architecture
(Or, Architecture & Ice Cream)
It follows, therefore, that architects who have aimed at acquiring manual skill without scholarship have never been able to reach a position of authority to correspond to their pains, while those who relied only upon theories and scholarship were obviously hunting the shadow, not the substance. But those who have a thorough knowledge of both, like men armed at all points, have the sooner attained their object and carried authority with them. — VITRUVIUS
“
What if you could see architecture differently?
What if you understood the vocabulary to describe what you see?
What if you didn’t just build it.
What if you didn’t just copy it.
What if you understand why it works.
In this live, two-hour virtual workshop, Gary M. Katz—carpenter, educator, and author of American Mantelpieces —will walk you through the architectural foundations that shape great design.
This is not a dry lecture on history.
And it’s not a presentation on design trends.
This workshop is a carpenter’s view of architecture for fellow carpenters, builders, designers, and enthusiasts.
Finish carpenters who want to know more about why their work matters
Woodworkers who care about style and proportion
Historic restoration contractors
Architects who need to understand the details of period styles
Architecture students
Design lovers and old-house nerds
Anyone who has ever looked at a mantelpiece and wondered why
If you care about the meaning behind your craft, this class is for you.
WHO THIS IS FOR
What You’ll Learn
DEAD WRONG DESIGNS
What’s wrong with this picture? Gary will walk through examples of architectural and mantelpiece designs that miss the mark—and explain why they fail.
You’ll learn to recognize:
• Common designs and problems to avoid
• Why certain details clash stylistically
• Proportions that do not work
With so many “idea” sources available today, mantelpiece design has become a cut-and-paste process, a mixture of “I like this” and “I like that.” The result often looks like a body assembled with mismatched parts, and no coherent composition.
01
THE CLASSICAL ORDERS—AND WHY THEY MATTER
02
Like every respected eighteen-century pattern book, this workshop begins with a review of the classical orders, the foundation of western architecture.
Gary will be covering:
The primary parts of classical architecture
Proportion—and how it translates directly into home design and mantelpiece design
How these centuries-old systems still influence American architecture today
This isn’t over-your-head academic theory. This review of classical guidelines is an easy-to-follow approach focused on practical fluency.
MAJOR AMERICAN PERIOD STYLES
You’ll learn how to identify and distinguish primary period styles along with the details that define them:
Georgian
Federal & Greek Revival
Victorian
Aesthetic Movement & Arts & Crafts
Modernism
Revival Styles
When someone says “Federal” or “Georgian,” you’ll know what they mean.
If the Victorian period never seemed important, you’ll see how American houses became homes.
If you never found Modernist homes attractive, you’ll learn to understand and appreciate minimalism.
03
ICE CREAM & ARCHITECTURE
Everyone has a favorite flavor of ice cream. A taste we each find satisfying: chocolate for some, vanilla for others, and all the other flavors between—mint chocolate chip, strawberry, and coffee.
We each have a favorite style of architecture, too. Our taste in architecture is harder to explain. But we know it when we see it because we feel it. That taste, that feeling, deepens with exposure and with education.
04
Sensibility to beauty must exist, and there must be some means afforded of developing and cultivating the taste; for however instinctive and natural a gift the former may be, a correct taste is only the result of education; the feeling must be guided by the judgement. — A.J. DOWNING
“
WHY THIS WORKSHOP EXISTS
American Mantelpieces isn’t just a book about fireplaces.
It’s about architecture.
It’s about carpentry.
It’s about the cultural language embedded in the details we design and build.
DETAILS
This is a one-time event.
A recording will be available to attendees.
DATE & TIME
Saturday, August 8th
9-11am PT / noon-2pm ET
Live on Zoom
FORMAT
Available with pre-order
REPLAY
Pre-order American Mantelpieces directly through this website to receive access to the live workshop and recording.
Support the book. Join the conversation. See architecture differently.
For over two and half decades—more than half my career as a finish carpentry, author, and educator, I have studied American architecture while working stubbornly on this book.
Throughout those years, with my hands on job sites, with my eyes and heart in historic homes, and through countless books, I have learned that mantelpieces offer a near perfect aperture for understanding the history and design of primary period styles. This book will strengthen your construction literacy, improve your design instincts, and deepen your appreciation and joy of architecture.
American Mantelpieces
A Carpenter’s Journey Through Architectural Styles
By Gary M. Katz, with Wm. Todd Murdock
Full-color hardcover, ~380 pages, coming summer 2026
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY
Purchase your copy and receive exclusive access to Gary’s live virtual workshop on Saturday, July 8th!