At the workshop

I've been spending time at the workshop in the evenings and on weekends so I thought I'd post about what I've been up to. Lots in progress, and a few things ready to go, or close.

The single thing I picked up at Sparks last week is the rusty locker basket above. They're always good sellers and because it's a little rusty I got it cheap. I cleaned it up with some steel wool and sprayed a coat of polyurethane to seal and it's done. The Murano lamp was all I got at the Tuesday night consignment auction two weeks ago. Right after the photo I took it apart and will look for a replacement base this week. The industrial basket actually came from Sparks earlier this spring. Its been sitting at the workshop but I don't think I can part with it. I'm picturing it as a great wastebasket, or lined with moss and full of plants on our next porch. It would also make a killer shade for a light fixture, so that's a possibility as well.

Last month Brett's birthday fell on an auction night, so I ran down at lunch and left a bid on this old maple drop-front secretary. The finish was shot but the piece is solid, and as usual I forgot to take any before photos. This black is the undercoat, and next up is a grey topcoat and a lot of distressing. It has cubbies that slide into the desk area, but I think I'm leaving them out. With them gone while it could still function as a desk, I can see it even more as being great for a small bar. There's plenty of room for bottles and an ice bucket, with the shelves above holding glassware and tons of other storage in the drawers below. At the moment at least that's how I'm planning to display it, so hopefully I can pick up some interesting glasses or shakers or something at the auction this week.

A woman I work with moved in with her new partner, resulting in two households full of furniture that both decided needed to go. These two tables were worn and tired and I picked up the pair for 20 bucks. The square table, now green, gets a whitewash and some polyurethane and it's done. On the washstand I've used a pale blue that's actually the color of our master bath at the old house. I got a quart in a gloss finish that I planned to use on another piece but thought I'd give it a go here. It will get the slightest of rubdowns with black glaze and some poly to finish.

It also hit me as I was shooting pictures that while I'm great at buying lamps, I'm not so good at selling them. Of everything you see sitting there, only the old Haeger lamp on the right is rewired and ready to go. I've been holding on to it because I'm thinking about starting something on Etsy, but I haven't decided for sure. The two urn bases and the horse head are pot metal so they can't be chromed (damn!), but I've found a body shop that's open to doing some car paint for me. I think the urns would be stunning in a pearl white, and wouldn't the horse head be fun in an orangey red? The copper lamp is made from an old French brazier and had a Sebree Galleries price tag of $980 retail / $720 wholesale...when I bought it for $40 at auction. I went to the estate sale of the woman who owned Sebree Galleries. The house in Fairway was fabulous, even in it the deplorable condition it was in, and hoarder-sickness full of gorgeous things. Webster House ran that sale and the women working couldn't have been more condescending, FYI.

Also in progress are a set of four of the most uncomfortable dining chairs ever made. They had tie-on cushions that I accidentally (wink) left at the auction house, and they'll need them again. I was going to paint them black, but black is just looking so heavy to me lately, so I went with pale green. I don't know that these would sell at the mall so I may give craigslist a shot.

One thing that IS ready to go is this 48" pine pedistal table. When I picked it up the finish was gone on the top and there was a big green stain. I sanded it down and gave it a coat of grey and a light rub with black glaze and a final poly coat. I originally planned to sell it with the black chairs, but it looks more to me like a big occasional table now rather than a place to eat. Then again, it's the perfect size for four, so who knows. I'm going to show it more as a large occasional or center table, but people can do what they want.

So that's some of what's going on at my workspace. More to come as things get finished and taken to the mall.