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.

Found this article on http://www.cooltownstudios.com/












Ani DiFranco and her church-turned-concert hall
Monday, November 05, 2007

Ani DiFranco and her church-turned-concert hall
Recording artist Ani DiFranco wanted to energize the downtown of her hometown of Buffalo with some creative spirit. So she did what any other person would have done - transforming a doomed 19th century church into a 21st century destination that houses a concert hall (pictured), a record studio, an art gallery and bar/lounge.
The city slated the 1871-built church for demolition in 1995, and within a year DiFranco and her record company president launched a community-wide effort to save it, ultimately purchasing the building three years later. The renovated church reopened in spring 2006.
Known as The Church (aka Babeville), the building features:- The concert venue, Asbury Hall, which hosts banquets of 300 to live performances with crowds of 1000.- The gallery and screening room, which belong to Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, whose mission is to bring the newest and most challenging work in the contemporary arts to the interested public.- Righteous Babe Records, Ani's own indie rock label.
"I think it will be a really dynamic place that will have a momentum of its own once all the creative people are in there, and there is music happening at night, and art hanging on the walls and crazy cinema in the basement. I think that the collective energy of all those people coming together will emanate out through the neighborhood. The space itself has a soul - it's vibe-y, it's cool and it's beautiful." Ani DiFranco

I just love Ani's music and now I know why!
Tab

The Greening of NBC this week!

I was so excited to see commercials on every NBC Channel about the national and local stations going green this week. Then I went out to their website at: http://www.nbc.com/green/ and I was even more excited! They have done this so right! All of the stations shows are participating in Green Week. I'm so proud to be in a green industry! Check it out and join the movement!

Tab

Make a Folding Screen Using Old Hinges and Shutters

This is something that we have been doing at our shop for a couple of years now. We have oodles of shutters and we make the screens to give our displays a little more definition. Okay and we use them to hide things like our work area which is always a mess. But here are the detailed instructions from This Old House. with Amy R. Hughes, , November 2007

Fred Claus

Fred Claus has lived his entire life in his brother's very large shadow. Fred tried, but could hardly live up to the example set by the younger Nicholas, who was just a perfect, well, saint. True to form, Nicholas grew up to be the model of giving, while Fred became the polar opposite: a fast-talking repo man who's run out of luck and money. Over Mrs. Claus' objections, Nicholas...

Ever wonder where film crews get all the cool stuff for sets? They shop at stores like ours. We're very excited about the release of Fred Claus Nov 9th! It was filmed here in Chicago last year and we've been looking forward to seeing our goods on the big screen! The cast includes Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Kevin Spacey, John Michael Higgins, and Elizabeth Banks

Should be a great film!

Tab

Solar Decathlon

I caught the end of this on TV last night and checked out the website this morning. Some really interesting innovative ideas. The Solar Decathlon joins 20 college and university teams in a competition to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house.

Teams of college students design a solar house, knowing from the outset that it must be powered entirely by the sun. In a quest to stretch every last watt of electricity that's generated by the solar panels on their roofs, the students absorb the lesson that energy is a precious commodity. They strive to innovate, using high-tech materials and design elements in ingenious ways. Along the way, the students learn how to raise funds and communicate about team activities. They collect supplies and talk to contractors. They build their solar houses, learning as they go.

The U.S Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is the primary sponsor of the Solar Decathlon.

Get Hip Get Green Reusable Grocery Bags

Envirosax Delightfully Pretty Reusable Grocery Bags

Been swapping between paper and plastic for years. This would be much easier and nothing to throw away.