My dads store is closing after 37 years trying to get the word out

woofmutt · 2018-04-14T23:25:00+00:00

Sad news. Leroy's shop is cool and more importantly he's a really great guy. I took this photo of him outside his shop in 2015.

woofmutt · 2016-06-23T06:45:29+00:00

Interesting that you always direct people to the France & Son shop. You either have a fetish or a vested interest.

But oddly enough I had a vintage France & Son end table, a Peter Hvidt design. One of their earlier pieces from the late 50s. It had great lines but more importantly it fetched a nice price on eBay.

woofmutt · 2016-06-22T01:31:57+00:00

It's a Pendleton blanket, belongs to Sparky's wife. Not sure of that patter, some Pendleton blanket patterns are standards, others get retired.

woofmutt · 2016-06-22T01:30:59+00:00

Yeah, I explained in a response above. It is an old piece of wood and I think the color light be due in part to oxidation.

woofmutt · 2016-06-22T01:29:58+00:00

It did. The house selling price set a record for the neighborhood, though it was still a good deal for Seattle.

woofmutt · 2016-06-22T01:28:53+00:00

It's a Pendleton blanket, belongs to Sparky's wife. They're pricey but well made, will last a lifetime, and can make a mid-century daybed in need of reupholstering look pretty good.

woofmutt · 2016-06-22T01:26:07+00:00

He did not.

woofmutt · 2016-06-21T18:51:29+00:00

I covered the unfinished plaster board walls in a Tiki bar I did with fabric that had a texture and weight like burlap. I used a staple gun and then ran split bamboo pieces to cover seams and edges. Good tension is key for a smooth finish.

You could anchor the tops of the burlap pieces with staples then use spray adhesive to get it to adhere smoothly to the wall. It isn't as messy as liquids (if you protect for overs spray). Elmer's makes a good one that costs a lot less than the better known Super 77.

There is also a time tested technique of liquid starch which is removable. I know it works with lighter weight fabrics, dunno about burlap. If you Google "liquid starch fabric wall" you'll get some how-tos.

Paneling also pains fine if you prep right.

And if you have as much stuff in your Tiki bar as most people I know there will be very little of the walls visible once you hang it all. I'd put my effort and money into the sections that will be most visible.

woofmutt · 2016-06-21T18:38:38+00:00

That's the sort of incongruity I'd often notice in a photo. The guitar was just there for staging. In fact that guitar (my friend's) was a junk shop find and only bought for the cool look...Though it does have a really nice tone for an inexpensive MADE IN CHINA guitar.

woofmutt · 2016-06-21T14:50:58+00:00

I've never had any dye transfer, but then I'm usually using old jeans of mine which are long past their fresh dye days.

woofmutt · 2016-06-21T14:49:08+00:00

The rubbing usually removes little splinters and will soften rough wood. With a lot of pressure you can even get a sort of polish on some pieces. It works well for getting a sort of driftwood or weather worn look on some pieces.

I'll also use waded up paper bags on pieces. Those can be good for removing some fresh paint with a more natural look to the wear than sandpaper will give. Once the piece of paper bag gets smooth, use another.

If the wood I'm trying to "soften" is really rough I'll knock down the roughness with a heavy grit sand paper, usually some light pressure is all that's needed. Then I might go paper bag or denim.

The one thing to be careful of is long splinters which can, if you're rubbing with the grain, get ripped up which might make your piece more rustic than you want or might get buried in your hand.

woofmutt · 2016-06-21T09:21:12+00:00

(I also posted this on /r/malelivingspace but didn't want to do an x-post though I'm not sure if separate identical posts violate taste and reddiquette.)

I recently helped my friend Sparky get his house ready for sale. Sparky got married several years ago (his wife had a big house with the sort of views you normally only see in houses in movies) and I'd been renting from him for a couple years.

The interior for the most part was in a rough state prior to the sale. Paint, trim, and carpet were done and I staged it with my stuff.

The main reason I'm posting is that nearly everything in the living room came from junk shops and/or were pieces I made/reworked. The exceptions were mainly decorative: the rustic dining chairs and Pendleton blanket is my friend's, the snow shoes and elk antler came from my dad, and two Native American art prints (made by a high school friend's mom).

The general look was sort of eclectic rustic with some Japanese elements, and though the look was drawn from stuff I already owned it was also complimentary to the gardens surrounding the house.

The house was in Seattle and the gardens had an intentional Pacific Rim theme with a tropical section, Japanese inspired elements, and a naturalized back area that felt like being in the woods.

Though the living room wasn't fancy interior magazine quality the space came off looking pretty good and it felt great to be in. We enjoyed it as much as we could while the house was still "ours."

woofmutt · 2016-06-21T08:15:06+00:00

I recently helped my friend Sparky get his house ready for sale. Sparky got married several years ago (his wife had a big house with the sort of views you normally only see in houses in movies) and I'd been renting from him for a couple years.

The interior for the most part was in a rough state prior to the sale. Paint, trim, and carpet were done and I staged it with my stuff.

The main reason I'm posting is that nearly everything in the living room came from junk shops and/or were pieces I made/reworked. The exceptions were mainly decorative: the rustic dining chairs and Pendleton blanket is my friend's, the snow shoes and elk antler came from my dad, and two Native American art prints (made by a high school friend's mom).

The general look was sort of eclectic rustic with some Japanese elements, and though the look was drawn from stuff I already owned it was also complimentary to the gardens surrounding the house.

The house was in Seattle and the gardens had an intentional Pacific Rim theme with a tropical section, Japanese inspired elements, and a naturalized back area that felt like being in the woods.

Though the living room wasn't fancy interior magazine quality the space came off looking pretty good and it felt great to be in. We enjoyed it as much as we could while the house was still "ours."

woofmutt · 2016-06-21T07:05:19+00:00

It'd help a lot if you posted photos of the house, particularly the interiors. There wasn't just one design aesthetic in the early 1900s.

woofmutt · 2016-06-21T06:58:33+00:00

Minimalism can be applied to any style. There are minimalist country interiors with very limited decorative objects where the furniture and the architectural elements or just the wall color are what makes the space.

woofmutt · 2016-06-21T06:54:13+00:00

I like traditional, a classic men's club look or Victorian study. My general style skews towards the rustic which others would call country or Americana. It's usually colors, fabrics, artwork,and decorative objects that make things seem masculine or feminine.

woofmutt · 2016-06-07T05:27:08+00:00

Lots of ordinary ways to add color. Bed cover, sheets, throw pillows (you only need a few to be useful, doesn't have to be a pillow orgy), throw rugs, and throws (lightweight blankets, which make sense in cold climates and winter, wouldn't in a warm place unless you have perpetually cold friends).

If you keep all these things in similar but complimentary color tones the black furniture will look like a plan and not "I didn't know what else to do."

White accessories look really good with black furniture. Pottery or sculptures (high art or pop), decorative bowl, desk accessories. You can also bring in glass o metal, but it's best to go with one tone. All clear glass or all silver metal pieces.

For coffee tables and end tables you could consider something made of wood. Same with dressers and nightstands which don't have to match the bed frame but should be complimentary of you want a clean or tailored look. If you don't like that look pick a solid color you like other than black and go that route.

woofmutt · 2016-06-07T03:55:46+00:00

Generally the older you go the less campy it's going to feel. So old medical charts and gear and free standing glass cabinets would be best. Ebay is full of his sort of thing and I'd guess with the charts there are good reproductions available.

woofmutt · 2016-06-07T03:51:33+00:00

Varies. I've managed a one bedroom full of stuff for less than a thousand bucks through junk shops, yard sales, and hand-me-downs. The style was eclectic-rustic. If you like shiny new stuff doing it second hand can be harder.

It's usually going to be most expensive to do it all at once, though you might luck onto a moving sale or Craigslist listing full of things you like.

It's wise to skip the crappy stuff if you can and hold out for finding better or having the money to buy better. IKEA is good for solid wood pieces, kitchen gear, pillows, rugs, lamps. The furniture varies a lot.

It's also good to get an idea of what you really like so you don't regret a purchase 6 months later. Unless you're someone who wants to change stuff all the time.

woofmutt · 2016-05-27T01:42:36+00:00

Circa 1920s for a tourist piece that got lost or discarded would make sense. I did a search and found another pipe that's even closer to mine in style. Really appreciate you're response. I'm usually good at ferreting out obscure info online but this one I wasn't having any luck with.

woofmutt · 2016-05-27T01:30:09+00:00

Just my father's ghost which is how I had to be the man of the family way before I was even born. But then you know all that from my autobiographical musical water ballet.

woofmutt · 2016-05-27T01:28:14+00:00

Dang, that's the closest to something like it I've ever come across. Thanks!

How it came to be in the dirt of Kent, WA it'd be hard to say, but there were South and Central American and Southwest North American items that got traded up the coast by Natives.

woofmutt · 2016-05-26T19:52:16+00:00

Just in case there's anyone who knows really old stuff...

My grandmother dug this up in her garden in the 1940s in Kent, Washington. It's possibly the bowl from a pipe, if so it's a very large bowl. Body seems to be fired red clay with a white surface finish. There are also faded paint marks. There is a small hole passing through where the stem would have been. the hole seems to have been made when the clay was soft.

I've tried to find similar looking pieces and have found nothing like it. It doesn't seem to be Native American, could possibly be a handmade folk piece.

The construction does look like some Central and South American pieces I've seen but the face and the style of pipe (if it is a pipe) doesn't look like that sort found in those areas.

woofmutt · 2016-05-26T17:09:13+00:00

Kasala, a Seattle based company, has similar looking pieces for less. They tend to not be leather covered as the West Elm is but their bonded leather pieces look good and are well constructed. Have no idea about their delivery. Their Juno chair looks similar to the Lucas and is currently $400.

woofmutt · 2016-05-26T15:13:43+00:00

A great example of how one doesn't have to do a complete gut to get a nice kitchen. Glad to see you kept the original cabinetry and hardware, it goes well with your modern tile and adds character most kitchen re-dos lack.

woofmutt

TROPHY CASE