Monday, February 24, 2014
GEORGEs NEW LADY and the BEDSIDE white nightstand
Hanging out just down the road at one of those Saturday morning get togethers
*AKA* yard sale
Shes was a cheap date at only $2.70
With the rainbow of colors and vintage feel we have decided to finish the kitchen in,
she was destined to come home with us.
This is the before picture of the now COFFEE STATION.
Thats an old AC unit that started to smell very odd the last 2 yrs so it was removed.
Transition Period,
with the old coffee maker and vintage printers stamp drawer.
NEW and IMPROVED
She greets George every morning with his new coffee maker
and hot H2o system, for my tea.
On another note:
I finished off the perfect little bedside table.
Smooth white creamy finish.
White flower knobs on 3 drawers.
Its a great table made of solid pine.
This time around I didnt have to put feet on, it came this way.
Sharing at:
MAGICAL TOUR the urban gypsy
Ill give some insight into the photos you are looking at shortly.
Yesterday was quite the day.
We had a deliver to make to North Van,
(those who dont know thats a good hour away from home)
then to pick up several pieces of my finished work on Kingsway to bring back home.
I did some pedaling of my wares on the street corner.
Okay it wasnt totally like that but we did have 2 customers pick up pieces
as we were loading the van.
And I want to thank those customers for saving us a bit of time, energy, and space.
But my favorite part of yesterday was dropping the Jack Dining Set off
at another store on our way back. (all these photos were taken there)
Jason, the stores proprietor and I have conversed via email for some time
and just before we left the house for the days adventures
He emailed asking if I wanted to bring the dining set in to display at his store.
Truth be told I didnt have to think on it too long,
the set was never going to get top billing in our small space,
and I welcomed the prospect of finally meeting Jason.
I didnt realize what I was getting myself into! (in a good way)
I was overwhelmed at how wonderfully welcoming he was to us
and complementary of my work.
After pulling me behind the counter to show me photos of a painting project he had done,
(in ASCP) he took us on the tour.
And what a tour it was!
And what a tour it was!
Hes incredibly knowledgeable about his inventory,
all of which is beautiful solid wood furniture hand carved and imported from India and Asia.
The first time around I didnt even think to take my camera out, I had to go back around a second
time to do that. No skin off my back I was thoughly enjoying the view everywhere I looked.
Admittedly Im not a huge fan of Indian decor but the WOOD is so beautiful.
Jason also showed us a Tibetan Singing Bowl
(i think thats what it was called, hell correct me if Im wrong)
And it really does sing in a matter of speaking.
Unfortunately I did not get a photo of it because I was so memorized.
I think I might want one!
Needless to say the Union Jack Dining Set is available and on display at:
The Urban Gypsy
614 Columbia St
New West
604-520-7725
www.theurbangypsy.com
There are more detailed photos to look at on the URBAN GYPSY web site
but if you are in the area plz stop in to see Jason and everything he has to offer.
It really is magical!
There are more detailed photos to look at on the URBAN GYPSY web site
but if you are in the area plz stop in to see Jason and everything he has to offer.
It really is magical!
Make sure to ask to see the singing bowls.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
PRICING
I usually do not include pricing information in my articles about refurbishing furniture because everyones demographic is different. Yesterday I did offer a purchase price for a desk I bought and I have received many emails asking for advice regarding pricing.
The majority of my blog followers are US residents and across the board all of our demographics are way different. I encourage everyone to understand their own market and establish who their customers are without comparing to someone living elsewhere.
How many of us read a post and start to compare what is written to our own lives and abilities. Plz use common sense when information is offered and rely on your own judgment for decisions.
What makes us unique also makes us noticeable!!
Now that being said … I don`t feel as if I have strict rules regarding prices however I will offer some general thoughts.
I value my time so furniture that needs repair needs to be extremely cheap … $5 to $20 I spend countless hours fixing broken furniture and I want room to compensate for the time.
Look around you, ask fellow colleagues in your area for advice, and do your own research. Hard work always gets you there.
Look around you, ask fellow colleagues in your area for advice, and do your own research. Hard work always gets you there.
Over time you get to understand what your market will bear for certain pieces and how much you can put into pieces. This is going to be trial and error for many starting out.
A perfect example of different demographics ...
I had just finished painting and upholstering some dining chairs and when I advertised them a US follower suggested my asking price was outrageous because she got the same chairs for half the price where she lived. My asking price was $110 each, the same price I sell most of my chairs for. The deal she was fortunate to get was in the US, where fabric costs are less, paint costs are less, shipping costs are less, and so on. I also live in the most expensive area of Canada.
A perfect example of different demographics ...
I had just finished painting and upholstering some dining chairs and when I advertised them a US follower suggested my asking price was outrageous because she got the same chairs for half the price where she lived. My asking price was $110 each, the same price I sell most of my chairs for. The deal she was fortunate to get was in the US, where fabric costs are less, paint costs are less, shipping costs are less, and so on. I also live in the most expensive area of Canada.
Here`s a hypothetical example of how much goes into a piece, I say hypothetical because with every piece there are a large number of variables.
I pay $20 for a single nightstand at a second hand store.
I add legs to this night stand costing anywhere from $20 - $40
A can of ASCP cost $56 here in Canada so take into account the cost for paint
A can of AS wax cost $39 here so add another cost for the wax
I use a paint sprayer so there is equipment costs and electrical
Supplies and tools used – wood, saw, drill, screws, nails, appliques, filter, water, paper towel, brushes, sandpaper, filler
Hardware usually needs to be added at a cost of $10 - $20
Depending on the amount of work it can take up to 8 hours over 2 days to finish.
Depending on the amount of work it can take up to 8 hours over 2 days to finish.
And lets not discount my camera, computer, Internet, and all the time needed to photograph and post on line. I ask $200 for this nightstand, averaging all costs out I might get paid $100 for all the hours I put into redoing this piece of furniture.
You must know when to walk away from a purchase if you don`t want to lose money.
There is another piece waiting around the corner.
There is another piece waiting around the corner.
YOU ASKED MY OPINION II angelas request
Hi, !
I follow your blog and love your design esthetic. You are amazing!!
How about a little free advice?
Attached is a picture of a headboard that I purchased to have painted,
a picture (closeup detail and nightstand) that shows
my existing furniture that I’d like to have the
headboard blend with,
my existing furniture that I’d like to have the
headboard blend with,
and a picture of a “painted headboard” that is just an idea.
The new headboard has some details that I think are
fabulous and “match” well with my existing
furniture. I’m just not sure how to make everything
fit together and look like they fit and still be
FAB!!Idea…help?Angela
First I would start by lifting the headboard by
adding legs or planning to mount it on the wall
with a french cleat. We wouldnt want all that
gorgeous detail hidden behind pillows.
fabulous and “match” well with my existing
furniture. I’m just not sure how to make everything
fit together and look like they fit and still be
FAB!!Idea…help?Angela
First I would start by lifting the headboard by
adding legs or planning to mount it on the wall
with a french cleat. We wouldnt want all that
gorgeous detail hidden behind pillows.
Legs French cleat
Then I would fill in the bottom space with another piece
of wood. This is where the pillows can rest against.
The scrolling detail of these headboards are
commonly made of extruded foam, so you cant sand
them, you cant stain them but you can paint them.
Ive painted them before,
it is easiest to take it outside and spray them.
If you want to match your other furniture more.
Rather then using a white or cream color,
Varathane has a spray stain & poly in-one
which I have used. The cabernet color seen below.
Your dry time would be several days if not a week to
ensure a good bond and finish. I vote for a cream color for more drama.
A beach mat could be used to make panels for the
inset sections
This would mimic the textured feel of the
inspiration photo below.
Then the matting could be stained a rich dark
walnut to tie into the other furniture in the room.
Alternatively a fabric could be used here too.
A faux nailhead trim could be glued around the inset
panels to further mimic the existing furnitures metal features.
If anyone has other suggestions plz comment below
as Angela Im sure would love to read them.
YOU ASKED MY OPINION I can be found here
YOU ASKED MY OPINION III can be found here
*** Interested in finding sources for the few inspiration photos used in this post,
right click the photo and in google image search use the file name listed under properties to search each pic.
Simple Lumber Rack Plans
I finally built myself a simple but effective lumber rack system. I built it entirely out of 2x4s and it took me probably three hours to complete, not to bad by myself. It is large enough to store 12 long boards, and plenty of them!
The way it is designed, the lumber is supposed to be slid in and out on end. This works perfect in my shop because it is shaped like a "L". The lumber rack is right on the top of the bottom, flat part of the "L". It was definitely the best spot for my lumber rack and I will go into more detail of why in a later post.
I have drawn a little set of plans on sketchup that better shows how it was put together. I built each unit with pine 2x4s and I nailed them together on the floor with a pneumatic nail gun using some old ring shank nails that I had laying around. You can use screws if you want to take the time but I think the ring shank nails will hold just about as good as a screw would. I spaced the units 16" apart to provide plenty of supports for my lumber to lay flat on and not bow. When you space them 16" apart this lets you nail each on into a stud in the wall which is needed to hold them up. I put one board down the outside of every unit to hold them all together, also it is a just the right height for a small counter top down that side. (I plan on covering the lumber rack and using the rest of the area as a finishing room and the shelf will give me somewhere to set finishing supplies.)
This was a great addition to my shop and really helped me get organized!
Read More..
The way it is designed, the lumber is supposed to be slid in and out on end. This works perfect in my shop because it is shaped like a "L". The lumber rack is right on the top of the bottom, flat part of the "L". It was definitely the best spot for my lumber rack and I will go into more detail of why in a later post.
I have drawn a little set of plans on sketchup that better shows how it was put together. I built each unit with pine 2x4s and I nailed them together on the floor with a pneumatic nail gun using some old ring shank nails that I had laying around. You can use screws if you want to take the time but I think the ring shank nails will hold just about as good as a screw would. I spaced the units 16" apart to provide plenty of supports for my lumber to lay flat on and not bow. When you space them 16" apart this lets you nail each on into a stud in the wall which is needed to hold them up. I put one board down the outside of every unit to hold them all together, also it is a just the right height for a small counter top down that side. (I plan on covering the lumber rack and using the rest of the area as a finishing room and the shelf will give me somewhere to set finishing supplies.)
This was a great addition to my shop and really helped me get organized!
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Richard Sneesby Garden Design
Richard Sneesby Landcape Architects
for garden owners · Design
Garden Design - Richard Sneesby, Andrew Wilson, Paul Williams ...
Garden Design - Richard
Read More..
for garden owners · Design
Garden Design - Richard Sneesby, Andrew Wilson, Paul Williams ...
Garden Design - Richard
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