Friday, December 30, 2011

The Real Color of the Year or How Pantone Got It Wrong


   Don't get me wrong, I love Pantone, but on this one they messed up. The lead color of the year is Tango Tangerine seen here. Still, one of the other colors of the year Sodalite Blue (not enough black and yellow in the blue) which comes close, but still not "the" color of the year.
  Well FilliQuist is making an official statement-
 Bergbana Blue is the color of the year, period.


FilliQuist Color of the 2012
Bergbana Blue

  After seeing, and consequently, falling in love with this color on a tram in Sweden (seen here) Filliquist began to notice this shade of blue all over Sweden. While primarily in the outdoor equipment industry this blue is rapidly creeping into the US market.
      Tangirine Tango may be on the A-listers but FilliQuist predicts the comfort and mellow tone of this color will ultimately be more popular. Examples below after the jump......

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Oak Farm House Table Chairs Rescued, Refinished, and Returned to the Table

   Ahhh, Oak. Absolutely overdone in the 80's. When mixed with the palette of pastels relegated to the same decade I still cringe. However, I was given a few old dilapidated Oak side chairs a friend had dug out of a shed I began to appreciate this once desecrated wood.

Poor little chair!

Click the jump to see the transformation!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Best Of: Documentry of Birch Bark Canoe Building

   I am not easily impressed. This film impressed me beyond words. I hope you may find it just as stunning. It is an hour long, but the story that is told is one that is near impossible to find today. It also shows just how close and basic the resources for boat building can be. Please make a cup a coffee, tea, or other warm beverage and enjoy this beautiful film brought to you by the National Film Board of Canada.
    It is titled Cesar's Bark Canoe by Bernard Gosselin.

Enjoy.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Dexter Side Table or Nightstand

Been awhile since I've said hello, and as always busy busy busy. All the same here is a new piece- The Dexter.

More pictures and specifications after the jump!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Cider Press Pendant


   Fresh out of the studio is the Cider Press Pendant. This is a completely handmade fixture. Click through for more details and price. 

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Best Of: Old Feed Stores


   Do you like Feed Shops?  This might seem like an odd question and in every right I suppose that it is, but bear with me here.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Restoring a Classic Federal Style Dinning Table

An old table gets a new lease on life is made brand new again.


   This is out of the archives of work that I've done for customers. But seeing how I've been doing so many restorations I figured, why not?
  You get an old table that has been soaked by a flood. Dookied on by bats. Heated and dried by extreme summer temperatures. Cooled and dampened by winter dreary and gloom. Then, and only then is it a perfect candidate for restoration.
More after the jump.......

Monday, November 7, 2011

Chicago Town

  
Taking some time to travel and see what the middle part (ish) of the country is doing and thinking; Chicago was a welcome change of scene.
    Seeing the difference in buildings and attitude pulls one out of the everyday and gets you to see and interact with the destination. Maybe it was just the stupid grin on my face as I wandered between the hotel, art museum and the Miracle Mile but I never get Hey's, Hi's, or Hello there's in other cities, just C-town. Impressive. What was also impressive was the city: there are so many other pictures; so please, click though to see them with details and comments.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Studio Workspace Renovation Part 2

Yes! There are hard wood floors!!
 After tearing out the foam next comes the staples...........................................
........After the jump............

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Studio Workspace Renovation

FilliQuist is MOVING!!!
Thanks to a stroke of luck, a building on the farm where we currently reside has become available. Filliquist Studio has struck while the iron is hot and decided to move in. Below are some pictures of the space before renovation. I hope there are hardwood floors under that carpet!!

It's a bit messy in its raw state

Plenty of natural light!!

Yea! My favorite source of heat!!
And a VIEW!!


Harvest Season

The time has come to gather fruit here at Pine Knoll. The hay has been cut. The firewood has been stacked. The berrys have been picked. The pears have been plucked. Now all that is left are the apples. If we can keep Jake (the German Shepherd) from eating them.....

Just the begining.....

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Our New Bookend


  I don't normally cover accessories, but this was just too good to pass up.  A few more pic's after the jump...

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Pine Knoll Office Desk


  Taxes, bills, reports, research, paperwork- no matter what you call it chances are you don't really want to be doing it. Either way,  it has to be dealt with.  Preferably in an office. Usually in that office is some semblance of a desk. Whether it was made from an old door and some cinder blocks in college or a cheap pressed chip board with printed wood graphics from some office supply store or Costco chances are you didn't like sitting at your desk in your office. This desk solves that problem and gives a little more...after the jump.....

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Always Learning

  I believe that it is good to learn. When you are out of school and living the life that you have chosen for yourself things can get kind of, well, boring. Get up, go to work, eat lunch, work, dinner, TV, bed time.....repeat. That is one of the reasons that I choose to do just what I do, it is never boring and something new comes along just before life has a chance to fall into that pattern.
   A client came to me with a chair that she needed caned. Well in the past this was usually about an hours work and it was done.

   Not this time.



More after the jump:

Friday, October 14, 2011

Moving: Lessons From a Vancouver, B.C. Bookstore

  This post is for anyone that is moving and gets to the point that they think they just have too much "stuff". Well after reading this you might realize- you don't.
   As I mentioned in the "Getting On With It" post, Filliquist Studio is moving! So while the sun is setting on our place by the Tacoma Narrows Airport; it is rising on Pine Knoll, the farm that we are moving to. As we begin to move the question of what is necessary and what is just "stuff" becomes glaringly apparent. I also can't help but think about a book store that we visited recently to make myself feel better about the whole process.

   Now I don't feel so bad.....  Every nook, cranny, shelf, floor spot, crevice, fireplace (yes even the unused fireplace had books in it), closet, stair tread or other potentially unused spot had a stack of books in it. 

A little more after the jump.....

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Trellis Bench


  This bench came from a desire to have a comfortable place to sit in the garden while not dominating the garden itself. Not only are the lines nearly transparent but they also allow (as the name suggests) vines to climb up them. Sweet pea's, tomatoes, jasmine; take your pick of balsam flower and with a season or two you will have a private little hide-a-way that is as sweeter and more special than anyone could ask for.
   Details after the jump.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Getting On With It

  The pace is quickening. More is happening. The Chris Craft has to be flipped over and on its trailer by the end of October. Filliquist is moving to Pine Knoll! More on that soon!
 

   The ply bottom has been replaced. Today I finish replacing the port chine board. After that on to the bottom planking! After much deliberation and consultation I have made the decision to use a new material that I am fairly sure has never been used on or in a restoration of such a boat.

Friday, October 7, 2011

A Guest Bed with Hint of Gustaivan


The photos above the bed are by Sharon Montrose

   With guests coming in from Sweden we are overdue for a proper bed and frame. For a number of years now we have been punishing our guests with an inflatable bed. We are far to nice for that! Really though it is time to grow up (a bit) and get a real guest bed put together. Keeping with Swedish design gives the piece direction without too many frills and at the same time simple without being straight boring lines. Oh Gustav, where would we be without you today?

More details and photos after the jump.....

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

A New Light for Our Table

  We live in a small farm house. We love our small farm house. Sadly, we do not own this farm house, we rent it! The kitchen in this house has track lighting. We don't like the track lighting. We can not get rid of the bad track lighting. We made a light that fits in our small farm house in our small kitchen. We like this light a whole lot! Here is what it looks like.


    The black and white  helps to see the construction, which, by the way, is vintage cloth wrapped cord, 1/16" steel wire for the hanger, 1" square tubing, and 3 (10 points for seeing it before being told about it!) Ikea Vasen vases that have been sandblasted, drilled and inverted.  More pictures (color) and details after the jump....

Monday, October 3, 2011

A Complete DIY Farmhouse Table



  Tis the season all 'round the (Northern) world that we begin to think about the harvest season, the holiday season and most of all- just being indoors. Spending more time indoors working and entertaining requires a good size table.
    I myself am not interested in shelling out a few hundred to a couple thousand bucks for a good size table. So I decided to make one ! AND share the process with you! The cost of materials?  Wood, glue and screws-$60 Tops. That's it.
    If you need to buy the tools then plan on about another $150 to $200 for a low end table saw or a hand held circular saw, a cordless drill and some drill bits. Or borrow one from a neighbor or friend or work with them on the project!
  Surprisingly there are many steps that can be skipped and I will note them with an *. Not doing the steps will result in a less finished looking table but a table just the same.  So, shall we get started?

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Stereo Cabinet Restoration Inspiration

I've been working on this little gem:


   If you can believe it I picked this Magnavox stereo cabinet up for FREE!! The stereo inside didn't work any more. I suspect the of the tubes had gone bad as this is a pretty old unit. Regardless the record player still worked beautifully. But I had other ideas for the unit check after the jump for a big surprise!! I promise it is worth it!!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Caterpillar is Released!

   As of late much work has been done in the bench genre. Now I am up to my neck in them! I have completed another Wine bench, a trellis bench (post coming), a navy chair bench(also- post coming), and the newest, the Caterpillar bench.
   This little wonder was conceived spur of the moment and now that I try to remember I can't even place its origin. All the same, it is just brilliant and I have to share.
   Each piece is 18" wide by 16" tall by 9" deep- But that's not a bench you say.....and I say RIGHT! But!...check after the jump.....

Saturday, July 2, 2011

The Best Of: A Different Take On Floors

    One of the greatest things a trip to Sweden offers is quaint little reminders. The pace and social attitude of Sweden is a refreshing take on how life IS and not how it marketed to be. Being that this statement relies on experience from having visited of living in Sweden let me offer an example.
   While driving on Swedish highways it frequently happened that a motorist would be merging, but only doing so extremely s l o w l y. Large trucks, and occasionally cars, would have to brake heavily in order to avoid a collision or an incident. As this happened there were no flashing of lights, honking horns, dramatic swerving and violent acceleration finalized by the giving of "the look" (at least) or "the bird" followed by yelling and cursing (at most).
   So why the anecdote? Besides the fact that I was stunned by the civility and seemingly passe' attitude toward driving there were other standards that were not questioned, if only for the sake that logically, intelligently, and simply-they couldn't be. And this is where pine floors come in.....
Click on the Jump for more-

Monday, June 27, 2011

Chris Craft Restoration

   Here we are half way through summer it seems and the Chris Craft restoration is moving along slowly. All the same progress is being made. The bottom is removed and the replacement wood is ready to be milled. The type of bottom has been holding up progress though. I am not quite satisfied with the rigid properties of an epoxy "West System" bottom also I am not thoroughly convinced of the 5200 or BoatLife style bottom either and finally the lack of longevity of the original construction does not seem wise either...... And so the debate continues....

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Geez has it been a month??

My sincere apologies to those that read this blog, or at least try to. I haven't really written anything in almost a month and as the last post says I have been super busy. Anyho.... 

Alfa Gazpacho-photo by Veronica Fermskog

 
       ....in that time I've built a wine celler, two artists' studios, designed an office space, refinished some chairs, striped and varnished a boat, put two  five (damn rain) coats of varnish on a beautiful sailboat, started varnish work on a 65' (20 meter) motor yacht and I've been travelling in Sweden for two weeks! Oh yes- and named a horse! Alfa Gazpacho - ha!  See him on the June 18th post or under Vora Fol (Our Foals). We are on the train to Stockholm as I type for the last few days and then there should be a wave of posts covering said work. So Hej Da (heya-doo-a) for now!!
Are (Aur-a)
and there should be a little o over the A

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

BUSY!

  For those that check in hoping for an update I would like to bring you up to speed. Lately all work has been outside and on boats. Varnishing season has opened here in Gig Harbor and is keeping me quite busy. Filliquist Studio also had a visit from the Balvenie Rare Craft Roadshow. What a Treat!!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Matching Side Table for Winery Bench

Here it is! Using the two ends of the White Oak Wine Barrel yields two 22" diameter side tables. The base is a single piece of bent smoothed and waxed. The top is oiled and then waxed.


Retail $119

Friday, April 1, 2011

The Best Of: Glass Manufactures

I have high standards, very high in fact. It is not very often that I find something, someplace, or someone that I believe worthy of not just my own, but everyone else's esteem. Before you go and assume that I am some kind of self-rightous, pompous, elitist that thinks he is better than all, let me tell you that I usually fall short on my own standards, high as they are. So.. what's all this about?

La Rochere Cristallerie is a glass manufacturer that excedes these standards and is one company that I consider -The Best Of- Click through to read more on this exceptional business.....



Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Dry Wine Bench, or just, The Winery Bench

   I would like to introduce a new little (not really, see dimensions at bottom) addition to the FilliQuist family, The Dry Wine Bench.

A wine barrel in it's previous life, the back of the bench is an unfolded white oak red wine barrel still stained by its former nectar and each screw hole plugged with fresh oak bungs.


The seat is a solid piece of white oak that is fit carefully into a notch made in each stave.







The top rail is finished with white oak as well which has been steamed into place.


Because of the solid seat surface, the bench should be turned over regularly to prevent warping. A task which shouldn't be much of a problem since after a rain or morning dew the bench can be flipped over to offer a dry seat and back. You see, the bench seat is exactly in the middle making the top the bottom and vice versa.



   Even though white oak is naturally rot resistant the whole bench is oiled and waxed for added protection. The bench pictured is approximately 7'6"L x 37" H x 20"D with a seat depth of 16" good for two shy people and 3-4 good friends. Retail for the standard two person 5' bench is $1150. Production and different sizes are available.

Monday, March 7, 2011

A New Tea Light Candle Chandelier

Fresh out of the Studio is as mentioned a tea light candle chandelier. Fairly simple description. The glass votives are hanging from a lightweight chain and attached to an assembly of branches that, using more chain, is hung virtually anywhere, as with any candle not near combustibles!    Hang it from an awning, a trellis, over a dining table or a under tree. Drifting and twisting about in the evening breeze these lights will move and flicker on the canopy of branches or ceiling above. The dancing shadows will enliven those late night conversations and softly light smiling faces melding them into the warm memory that is summer.
Enjoy!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Art of Mimicry

I was reminded today of a table I had completed for a client a while ago. In ordering a coffee table to go in a recent addition of their home Buus, a furniture manufacturer, had all but disappeared. To ensure that the piece would still be delivered on time I built it and loosely took the lines (for any copy write claims please contact me and I'll yell at you first for failing to complete the order then discuss the terms of licensing fees.) With that out of the way. Here is the original care of Buss.....
And then of course what I created. The wood is Cumaru and the hardware is hand forged. The finish was made lighter in order to match a built in cabinet. Not to shabby, eh?

Now as for Buus- when are you guys going to get back in business again? You had some great designs!!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Formal Presentation of the Impression

    In completing my portfolio for submission to a Masters of Architecture program I took more proper photos of the newly named Impressive Coffee Table. Which, by the way, is available for purchase.
   The one pictured is Cedar from a wind fall tree in Lake Tahoe, CA. Worm holes and nicks from the saw have been filled in and smoothed over with clear epoxy and reveal the organic history and working marks of the piece. It is available for $3500 (this is a personal piece and does not reflect the general pricing structure). Dimensions are 60"Lx 24"Wx 17"H.
   -Or, if one prefers, a hand built Impressive can be made to specification.
   -Any choice of wood (except imaginary, extinct or endangered)
   -Wood finish can be impeccable or show some marks of the wood's history
      (appropriately polished with 6 coats of varnish or other appropriate finish)
   -Gloss or satin varnish
   -Steel base can be slightly distressed (as shown) or clean and waxed.
   -Pricing then will ballpark between $600-$2000 before shipping.
Enjoy!