One birdhouse at a time

Nathan Vowels didn't know a birdhouse he built for his grandmother would become a major part of his business and a symbol of how he lives his life. The Princeton native made around 1,000 birdhouses, most of which sit upon fenceposts and hang from trees throughout the Palouse. He built his first birdhouse in high school and gave it to his grandmother, who lives in Palouse. "She loves birds and the house helped her see more of them," he said. Vowels' grandmother encouraged him to make more and sell them. Vowels, 27, said about the same time his grandmother suggested he start producing the miniature houses, he wanted to go to Europe. The birdhouses offered him the chance to make a little money. He cut out 67 cedar birdhouses at school and his grandmother sold them. He made more than $1,000 from the project. "It was a good trip," he said. "And a great idea from my grandmother." Vowels said everyone in his family helps him out. "Over the years I've learned to listen to older people and the people closest to me," he said. "They usually have pretty good ideas." His wife, Mia, had the idea to use the houses to advertise his business. Vowels has stuck 85 birdhouses atop fenceposts along State Route 6, and most of the houses are occupied during the spring and summer months. "During the nesting season, the birds are out there like crazy," he said. "A few times I've just hoped the birds don't cause an accident." Vowels, who owns and operates Nathan's Painting, uses the birdhouses as a form of advertisement. Last winter he set out 200 birdhouses around Moscow. He only got a few back, and he picked up some new business along the way. Whenever Vowels finishes a job, he gives his clients a birdhouse. This year at the Potlatch parade, he handed out birdhouses instead of candy. He ran out about 50 yards down the route. "The older folks loved them and they just gobbled them up," he said. "I think a few were mad they didn't get one." Vowels plans on making 500 birdhouses this winter so he won't run out at next year's parade. "It's something I like to do on my downtime," he said. "They're a great way for me to let people know I'm around." Vowels said he's become pretty fast at building the birdhouses. He spends about 20 minutes on each one. He figures it will take him 21 eight-hour days to finish all 500 birdhouses this winter. He said the time will be worth it if he has enough to go around at the parade. Vowels said he learned his work ethic from his family, which has helped him become successful. Vowels' father worked seven days a week, and he said he had to go to work with his dad in order to spend time with him. He said his grandfather put him to work painting houses when he turned 13. He's been doing it ever since. "I didn't really know my grandfather before I started painting," Vowels said. "But I spent 40 hours a week with him for a lot of summers. Now, I know his whole life story." During his college years, Vowels commuted to Lewis-Clark State College so he could still work. It took him seven years to get a communications degree. After all the time he invested into his education, he said he wasn't about to fail. He said his grandfather taught him how to paint, and the first piece of advice he offered is ingrained in his mind. "Don't hold the brush like a club," Vowels said, quoting his grandfather. "You've got to use your wrist." Vowels inherited his grandfather's clientele when he retired. "I've just had a lot of support," he said. His other grandparents, who live in Princeton, let him use their shop to make his birdhouses. Vowels said his parents and grandparents taught him to always be courteous and to treat everyone with respect. He watched his grandfather picking up all the paint chips that fell at a worksite and taking care to not break a single petal on a flower. "When you finish a job, it had better be your best," he said. "It's the little tiny stuff that really matters." Keeping that in mind, Vowels said he uses the best paint he can buy on his birdhouses. "They're my advertisement; they represent me," he said. "It wouldn't look very good if the paint was peeling off of them." Ryan Bentley can be reached at 
(208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by e-mail at rbentley@dnews.com.