Saturday, September 11, 2010

Flow Grows

So the Flow bed has been on Apartment Therapy for a while now and while it looks as though I won't be placing in the finals it was a fun run. One side note-I didn't realize that I'd be up against people that had already quit their day jobs, sheez!
The one, the only, the original, Flow Coffee Table Study
Well as it stands the Flow is becoming more of a series and I thought I'd post up a link of one of the lesser known siblings, check that more like ancestors, this was the study for the bed.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Better Than Restoration Hardware

When I was young my mother had me playing all kinds of instruments-the violin @ 4 years old, then the cello @ 8 or so, then the piano in the early teens. If there is one thing I HATE to hear it's, "why don't you go practice now..." UHG!
Well here I am a grown man and I am happily, and unknowingly, practicing all on my own. OK, it isn't an instrument per se but I am using instuments. Welders, saws, drills, grinders and so on. I guess the definition of making music has just changed. What is this leading up to? Well have a look:
Does it look familier? It should....
see page here
So if practice makes perfect I hope that this shows I am getting better. It was nice to have this coffee table as a little bit of inspiration and to be able to show that things can be made locally for much, MUCH LESS. This may become a frequent saying -GO LOCAL!
The instigator for this table came when I first asked myself, "WHY does this table cost so much??" Huh why? RH's table is approx. 4.5 feet by 3.5 feet and costs $1360. The one I did sold for $650. OK ok, mine's not an antique, it also weighs in at around 60 lbs. instead of RH's approximate of 200 lbs. I'm going to guess that theirs is solid steel frame then; whereas, mine is square tubing 1/8" wall. Never mind after closer inspection you can actually see the joints on the leg for flatpack-ability, there is no way that table weighs 200 lbs. Other than age, a steel end cap, some patina paint job, and -of course- price what's the diff? Would you go local?

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Belle Reading Light

The theme between most, if not all, of these products that I make it is that I couldn't find what I wanted (or thought that what I did want was outragously priced).
So I formally present the Belle Reading Light.


For a larger image just click on the picture. This here is the first one and has a 3/4" thick steel base, copper stem and hand painted glass shade all wired with UL Listed parts, thus being clear wire showing one silver one copper and an inline switch and a candellabra socket and a maximum 40W 2" bulb. The production ones will be the same except they will have a 1/2" thick base and a slightly different shade (unless someone out there knows where to get more of the one shown here! uhg! I'm searching -I'm searching.....). It is 14" high overall- the base is 7" long by 4" wide and the shade here is 4" long 3.5" D. Price will be between $90 to $120 per unit. Depending on cost and work that has to go into the shade. Oh, and you might recognise the nightstand...