Aura Paints Revisited

Okay I am getting very close to the sold category on this stuff. I went out and got four sample jars in fairly dark colors. A long while ago I had started this project of painting an old school desk but was never very happy with it. So I figured it was the perfect piece to test this out on. I did sand it down first this time. The color I chose is Dinner Party. A very dark red. I have gotten one coat on the top. Judge for yourself. While I still think I would stick with two coats for coverage, the color with the one coat is exactly as it is in the jar. No primer or anything. I put the lid in the picture so you can see the color of paint as it is before you apply. Pics No coat, one coat two coats

Customer Photogs

This is short and sweet. A new customer of ours is restoring a 100 year old farm house and he sent us pictures of the house 100 years ago and one current. I would love to be renovating an old farm house.

As I am writing this I got another email from this customer and he sent some pictures of a house he had previously owned and renovated. So correction not so short but still just as sweet.

"This home was used as an orphanage and rooming house for much of its life, so no "improvements" were ever made. It's original interior was almost completely intact and unmolested, including 9 sets of pocket doors, 7 mantels, a hand carved breakfront, and miles of original murals and frescos. I lived in the house for almost 7 years, and did extensive restorations throughout, including the 3rd floor ballroom." The first picture is a collage of the interior and the other is an original photo from 1895 of the exterior of the house.

Benjamin Moore Aura Line of Paints

I know I had a post a while back on Low VOC paints but this is an update of our own experience with the Benjamin Moore Aura line.

Last night we attended an ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) outing for the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago Chapter where the guest speakers were Benjamin Moore. Now, as owners of an architectural salvage retail store we try to create distinctive displays for our inventory that emphasize the craftsmanship of the past. So we’re always applying new paint to our backdrops in our showroom.

We have been waiting anxiously for the new low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints to be readily available. When I started my cabinet (see previous posts) I looked for the Aura paint. The new selections of low- and no-VOC paints that release no, or minimal VOC pollutants, and are virtually odor free.

The level of VOCs in Aura is less than 50 grams per liter, and tinting with new Benjamin Moore waterborne colorants, the Affinity Color Collection, adds no additional VOCs. Although Aura is available in any of Benjamin Moore's 3,300 colors, the Affinity Color Collection was created specifically for Aura. I was able to use some of the paint last night at their presentation and was amazed by its ability to cover in a single coat and it dries so quickly. There was no paint smell at all.

Now we also got some samples of the Wasabi and Fiji aura paints. So my first order of business was to test this out in my world. I thought the Wasabi color would look great against the current color of our walls so I tested a small spot on a door that we have hanging horizontally. I did go really well but maybe a little too well as I wanted something that made it jump off the wall. So I went with the Fiji. First thoughts - I probably should have sanded the existing coat of paint on the door. (Pic 1 before)

Next thought was no smell at all that I could tell. It went on smooth and filled in nicely so you can barely see any brush lines. By the time I got to the end of the door the portion I had started on was nearly dry. Since I did not sand it first some of the previous paint coat bled through. I gave it about 1/2 an hour and then tried my best to smear it, but lo and behold it was dry. Not even the slightest bit tacky. (Pic 2 first coat still wet)

On to the second coat (which I don't think I would have needed if the paint I was covering was a matte finish. Lickety split I am done coverage is beautiful. Best part was I only needed one little jar of the sample. Which for small jobs is perfect, economical and doesn't leave you with half full quarts of paint you might never use again. Another 1/2 hour and I rehung the sconces. (Pic 3 Completed)

We are going to try some more of the colors elsewhere in the store, especially the deep reds. The last time I painted a wall barn red it took 7 coats to get it the right shade. They say these colors are 1 sometimes to coats and you can cover red with white in one coat. Well we are going to try it and let you know how it all comes out.

For the Creatively Challenged

As I peruse through magazines and books I am always envious of those people who can see the potential something. Like a decorator who can look at an empty room with white walls and see a dinner party complete with rich table settings and inviting paint colors. Or and artist looking at a blank canvas but really sees a portrait or landscape. For those of you who are more like me this post is just a reference point of the many books out there on salvage and what you can do with it. This by no means even scratches the surface of the many innovative resources for decorating with found treasures it is a place to start. Anybody out there who have resources that they love please post. Thanks

Transforming You Treasures

Here is a post from the Boomerhead.com website.


Cleaning out your garage, attic, or closet? Need to downsize, but you just hate to throw away that sentimental knick-knack or piece of furniture? Sometimes it just has to go! However, some baby boomers are re-inventing their “treasures.” Take a look at how old useless “junk” has been ingeniously transformed into functional items for the household.

• Making Wall Shelves out of Desk Drawers
• Old seasoned wood used to make hat-racks
• This baby boomer transformed a broken-down stereo cabinet into a tile island for her kitchen
• An old mirror frame without the mirror made into a message board

My Sappy Thanksgiving

Growing up we spent every Thanksgiving at my Aunts house in New Jersey. It has given me some of the greatest memories of family and food and I don't know that it will ever be topped. My Aunt is an amazing cook, this is the stuff to rival Martha. The smells the the flavors the cousins, the laughter, eating too much. A table that looked like a scene from from a feel good holiday movie. Well worth the sometimes nightmarish traffic getting from Long Island to thier house. Years go by and the children have children and some of us move away. We no longer spend Thanksgiving in New Jersey, but it is still my favorite holiday. Every place I have lived I found amazing friends and extended my family to continue to make it really spectacular. There is one item that has always been present a silly little cake. Ask anyone of my brothers or sister what they love the most on Thanksgiving and the answer is the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin cake. (currently baking right now.) It is my contribution to today's dinner bringing a little bit of my family memories to the table.

Happy Thanksgiving

As a retail store owner we get to meet a lot of people and we love sharing their ideas and they will share theirs with us. We met a woman about a week ago who was working on her centerpiece for her Thanksgiving table. She has a couple of sets of candlesticks that she was looking to spruce up. She wanted to add some bobesches and prisms to them. We had some of both. She sent us a picture and it is wonderful a really simple but elegant idea. She's good.

Handmade by Who? You

I was talking to my Dad the other day and he is in his mid 70's. Let me explain that this is a man who cannot figure out call waiting, or alphabetize his favorites on his bookmark page. He asks me if I remember the episode of I Love Lucy where Harpo Marx and Lucy do the mirror scene. It is one of his favorite skits of all time. He then says, "so I went to YouTube and I found the whole scene." He proceeds to then talk about the marvels of the billions and billions of bits of information on the internet and how amazing it is that you can find anything. (Frankly I think he knows how to use call waiting he just thinks it's rude).

He is right about the internet, no question there. Which brings me more to my point of this post; Here and there we make things out of other things that don't really fall into the salvage arena and it is hard to find the right customer for those items. How does an individual with great ideas, designs etc get things to market without opening a store or designing a website etc.
The internet being the marvel that it is, coupled with some entrepeneurial spirits have created numerous arenas to bring our creations to the masses. These are also really great ways to support individuals trying to make a living doing what they love.
Etsy.com

loungeluxe.com

Cutique.com

Ishopindie.com

GreenThinkers.org

Oh my goodness there is such a plethora of new "green" websites and blogs out there now! I particularly like http://www.greenthinkers.org/ so I wrote Scott Smith and begged him to let me contribute to his fabulous site. I just posted my first article on (what else?) Architectural Salvage Companies are the original Green industry! Go on over and have a peek.

Tab

This is Not Your Mother’s Stove…Oh Wait, It Is!

In our line of work we have come across a number of original appliances in various stages of disrepair and condition. Now, I have spent the better part of the last three years slowly restoring my own 1926 English Cotswald home, using, as much as possible, original items from our own salvaging efforts. After getting a glimpse of these wonderful old ranges, I decided that the only option for me was to replace my stove, whose touchy temperament did not allow me to use the oven and the burners at the same time, or even more than two burners at once regardless of my oven use. You can just imagine Thanksgiving at my house. More recently it had become obsessed with its own cleanliness, on more than one occasion I had found myself unable to open the oven door as it had somehow locked itself into a self-cleaning cycle. So given my situation I decided that the search for my new “old” stove needed to begin and quickly. Finding someone locally who could do the repairs on one of my “found” stoves proved to be difficult. Add to that, the fact that I am limited by space in my quaint kitchen and could not have anything wider than 30 inches.

Not being easily discouraged I dug deeper and searched wider. I found a number of companies that take these vintage gems and completely restore them. Refurbished with completely new valves, piping, insulation, and enamel finishes, these stoves are in the long run less expensive, have far more character than the reproductions, and actually cook more evenly. You might be familiar with Rachel Ray from the Food Network who cooks on an old Chamber stove and swears by it. I purchased a vintage O'Keefe & Merritt newly re-porcelained white gas range circa 1950. It’s been two years now and I still marvel at its simplicity and style. It’s the center of my kitchen. Where can you find these gems? There happen to be a few options.

Here is the picture of the stove when it was first put in and another after the entire kitchen was remodeled (see post on remodeling with architectural salvage.)

I purchased mine at SAVON Appliances and General Appliance Refinishing, Inc. both are owned and operated by Emmett Julian. Originally from Chicago, Emmett has been in the used appliance business for over 30 years, and started SAVON Appliance in Burbank, CA, in the early 1980's. You can call Emmett or Marsha directly with any questions about buying, selling, trading, resurfacing, painting, moving or completely restoring any appliance. When my stove arrived it was neatly wrapped in cellophane and crated to perfection. Not a scratch was found.

SAVON Appliance2925 Burbank Blvd.Burbank, CA 91505phone: 818-843-4840 or 818-843-4908email: info@savonappliance.com

Another resource is Antique Gas Stoves in Montclair, Ca. Since 1982, Antique Gas Stoves has been rebuilding vintage stoves of all types for it’s customers. Contact Terri Smith for more information. Antique Gas Stoves ships worldwide and stoves start at around $3000.00

Antique Gas Stoves
Antique Stoves - Sales - Service - Parts – Restoration
P.O. Box 3175 Montclair, California 91763 USA
voice: (909) 445-0300
email: cookin@AntiqueGasStoves.com


And finally, Antique Appliances.com. Antique and vintage appliance restoration is what AntiqueAppliances.com is all about. Located in the mountains of North Georgia, in the small community of Clayton, their crew of six craftsmen restore all makes of antique and vintage refrigerators and stoves, even adding unique design concepts to the exteriors. Custom colors to fit your decor are readily available. They too ship worldwide and gas stoves start around $1800 up to $50,000.00, electric stoves $1800 up to $18,000.00, refrigerators run about $1800 up to $12-$15 thousand. Restoration takes about 4-6 weeks from the time a restoration begins. AntiqueAppliances.com is currently scheduling projects out two years because of the demand.

AntiqueAppliances.Com30 West Savannah StreetClayton, GA 30525USA
Telephone: (706)782-3132Fax: (706)782-7326
E-Mail Address:John's direct e-mail: john@antiqueappliances.com Sales Department e-mail: sales@antiqueappliances.com

My next project is to tackle a vintage refrigerator. I just haven’t gotten past having to thaw out the freezer every month.

Best Packing Material

This is probably not news to a lot of you, but for me this is like striking gold.

I don't know about the rest of you but I have stacks and stacks of mail and other assorted papers that I have all good intentions of shredding and recycling. Well I finally reached my limit and began the long tedious process feeding sheet after sheet into the shredder.
Anyway, we do a lot of shipping all across the country with Island Girl and packing materials can get expensive. I decided to use the shredded materials instead of peanuts and newspaper. I have a cross cut shredder which makes everything a little more compact than a regular strip shredder. You get enough bounce but not a lot of settling.

With the holidays coming up and lots of packages going out I recommend trying this option. I have used this as padding to ship Christmas ornaments and other fragile items.

Organic Fashion

Not exactly salvage but we do love clothing and fashion. There are oodles of new companies and enterprises out there are combining the art of design and sustainable organic materials. Pretty incredible.

Of the Earth

The Mission
"From a personal dream of bringing organic sustainable products to the world’s market, we believe we can make a difference and so can you. Since 1992 we have strived to be the premier resource for fashionable alternative and organic apparel.Our Mission
From a personal dream of bringing organic sustainable products to the world’s market, we believe we can make a difference and so can you. Since 1992 we have strived to be the premier resource for fashionable alternative and organic apparel."

Annatarian

"Annatarian’s mission is to unite the global community through fashion. The one of a kind dresses serve as an example of a perfect world, where different colors, textures, cultures, and patterns are blissfully intertwined."

Nau

Design Philosophy
"The balancing of beauty, performance and sustainability drive everything we do, from developing better, more environmentally friendly fabrics to raising the bar for functional, elegant designs."

Green Stuff Connection

Green LivingOnline

Green Closet

Green Loop

My Goodness Duds

Tada - The Cabinet is finished.

Here is the final installment. I think it came out okay. Not perfect but certainly useable. As you can the dark wood knob won the contest and it is well deserved.

1954 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight

We have a friend that buys and restores vintage automobiles and on really nice days he will take one out and bring it around for us to ooh and ahh at and go for a ride. Well today was just such a day and this car is a beauty. The paint is original and the dash board is a fantastic deco design.

First Coat on the Cabinet

I went with the orange family and I absolutely love this color. It is Benjamin Moore Autumn cover. This is just the first coat and will definately need at least one more. Trying now to decide on the pull that I want to put on. Here are some of my choices. Any thoughts are welcome.

My Cabinet Project Updated

I have gotten the shutter resized and primed. I will be painting and hoping that paint covers a multitude of sins. Can I just say that painting shutters is not much fun, getting in between the slats without clumping the paint is harder than I thought. I have been rather taken with the variety of orange paint colors while this will in no way match anything in my office. Here are some pics of the work in progress. This will hopefully work on the cabinet below as a door.

More From This Old House

Fabulous Fall Colors

from This Old House Online

The bright pigments of this time of year may be on their way out, but indoors the vibrant shades of autumn can live all year long. Check out these glowing examples of rooms with a hue.

We just loved the rich deep colors and of course all to the vintage architectural elements in these rooms, Mantels, room dividers, and built in bookcases. Here are some similar items that we have in our inventory now.

At the Warehouse

We met a couple at Salvage Fest in NY in August and were very intrigued by what they were doing. They have created a Market Place around their Architectural Salvage business, Silver Fox Enterprises www.silverfoxenterprises.com.

Albany’s only year-round Multi Functional Market within the city boundaries offers year round indoor space designed for specialty foods, crafts and antique vendors. A significant portion of the warehouse will support the architectural salvage business which will be dispersed throughout the market adding to its ambiance. They have vendors for the Café, Bakery, and specialty teas, that create an atmosphere for the public to relax, shop and explore. And a Dance studio that offers space for creative expression.

During the warmer months, the market expands outdoors to include a Farmer’s Market, Antiques & Crafts, and garden statuary. Individual shelters are constructed to enhance the permanence of the venue, eliminate the look of a “tent city,” and ease the set-up process. Under consideration include plans to host small festivals such as Medieval fairs, “Llama Days”, and Antique car shows. Additional ideas are always welcome for discussion.

To visit the Warehouse online go to www.atthewarehouse.net

Tab's Dreaming Again...

I've been dreaming about re-doing a ranch. I know it sounds completely out of character for me but I finished remodeling and decorating my current home this summer (look in the archive for photos) and so I'm itching for a new project, a new adventure. And I recently tumbled down my stairs in the middle of the night and broke my wrist. First thing my husband said was "we should buy a ranch". It's what he grew up in and finds familiar comfort in but...a ranch? It's been nearly eight weeks and I'm out of my cast and in occupational therapy now (totally hurts) and for some reason the idea of a ranch has permeated my dreams at night.

My parents are famous for finishing a restoration and then placing the house on the market and unfortunately I think I've got this disease as well. I'm thinking something a little sparser and open with a much greater mix of periods and styles. This keeps bringing me back to a ranch where I can play with mixing and not feel guilty about staying true to the architectural integrity of the original design. Who really cares about the integrity of 70's ranches? Is there even any?

I've been wondering through blogs and websites for ideas to convince my husband that we should get serious and start looking for a ranch while the interest rates are down and housing prices are falling. All I need is a house with good bones. All else can be reconfigured to suit our needs.

Here's what I'm thinking... white on the walls in the hallway/entryway

and a mixture of my favorite French gilded empire mirrors along

with paintings by my husband Pete.

I nabbed this photo from LivingEtc. Magazine.

This is a clean line design and I think I'm moving towards this kind of decorating. I would use my existing antique furnishings from my family but streamline my choices a bit. I'm feeling the urge to unclutter and accentuate some of the great pieces I already have. Now if I could just get my husband on board...

Tab

Meet the RoboJunker

Some people look at a window and they see a window (for the most part I would have to say that I fall into this category) then there are some people who see a window and in their mind's eye it is actually a greenhouse, or backdrop or some other equally creative and so NOT a window anymore. Anyway in my wandering the web looking for just such creations I found Robo Junker and I would like to share what she and others have done with "windows?" and some other great uses for salvaged house parts etc. Here are some of her wares.


I am going to take some of the ideas to heart and for my first project I am going to put a door on this little cabinet in my office and paint it some really funky color. My office is a disaster area and I can do better so I will start with cleaning out this bookcase and putting a door on it and we can keep all our non-perishable food stuffs and napkins etc here rather than in the whole top drawer of my file cabintet. I still have to find the right piece to make it work. So far everything is much too tall and not easily cut down to size. Stay tuned.