Monday, December 24, 2012

Vintage Metal Hand-Painted Lighthouse




The perfect thing to add to a nautical collection, this metal lighthouse is painted by hand and shows the some slight wear from handling, which gives it time worn character.  We love the blue and white stripes, the little windows, and the railing at the top.  Just a beautiful vintage piece.

Measures: 12.5" tall
5.75" diameter round base (4.5" diameter lighthouse at base)

This item is now available for purchase in our etsy shop for $32 plus S&H:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/118762774/vintage-metal-hand-painted-lighthouse


Vintage ABC Blocks





We have a sweet set of children's vintage ABC blocks, which include letters, numbers, animal figures, and pictures of other objects painted or stamped onto the sides.  Though they didn't come in the box, we're including this vintage slide-top box to contain the blocks.

Measures: 1.25" cube (each block)
21 blocks total

This set of blocks in box are now available for purchase on etsy for $25 plus S&H:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/118762602/vintage-abc-blocks-colorful-childrens



Vintage Painted Lighthouse



This lighthouse replica is hand-painted in shades of light blue, white, black, red, and yellow.  The lighthouse shows some wear, which adds to its time-worn appeal.  The perfect addition to any nautical collection.

Measures: 8" tall x 3.25" diameter at base

This item is now available for purchase in our etsy shop for $26 plus S&H:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/118762430/vintage-painted-lighthouse-light-blue

Vintage Hand-Painted Wood Boat Replica




The little beauty of a wood boat was hand painted in shades of aqua, red, and white and joined together with small nails.  The bow of the boat has a small ring to which a piece of rope was once attached.  The boat shows plenty wear, making it a beautiful, rustic little specimen.

Measures: 18" long bow to stern x 3" tall on sides
5.5" wide at stern (rear)

This item is now available for purchase in our etsy shop for $26 plus S&H:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/118758328/vintage-wood-boat-replica-hand-painted

Vintage Rolling Pin





This vintage rolling pin is made of wood, with red painted wood handles and white end caps.  Shows wear consistent with its age.  A beautiful piece for the avid baker or collector of vintage kitchenware.

Measures: 16.5" long (9.5" wood roller with 3.5" handles)
~2.5" diameter roller

This item is now available for purchase on etsy for $22 plus S&H:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/118758083/vintage-wood-rolling-pin-red-and-white

Vintage 12 inch Replogle Globe







View the geo-political world through the eyes of the 1950s.  The globe's metal base (painted to look like wood)  has a slot in the back with three original pieces of literature, including a guide book and brochure on national flags. The main book is titled "See the World on a Globe" by Mercedes Guyette, published in 1951 by Replogle Globes, Inc. of Chicago, IL.

From a design perspective, we love the colorful and sculptural nature of globes.  They look great on a bookcase, desk, or dresser.  We like this one so much, we're having a hard time parting with it!  Start a collection or add this globe to your already established one.

Measures: 12" diameter globe
6" x 9" wide; 2.5" tall metal base

This item is now available for purchase in our etsy shop for $60 plus S&H:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/118757679/vintage-12-inch-globe-1950s-replogle


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Spotted

Remember these chairs we recently sold at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire?  They were going into a new men's clothing store.

Well, look what we recently spotted while doing some blog reading...

Oh wait.  Couldn't grab the photo, so you'll just have to follow the link:

Refinery 29

Thursday, December 20, 2012

We're Opening a Shop!




Big news!  We're finalizing the details to open a real storefront in Temescal Alley, Oakland.  

At the turn of the century our little (emphasis on little) shop was originally a stable.  Later the horse stalls were turned into carriage houses and most recently into tiny shops.

Here's what the inside looks like.

We love the exposed brick, the built-in rustic pipe shelving, and the concrete floors. And of course, we plan to do some work to make it our own.


via San Francisco Chronicle

We couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of this thriving community of small shops full of artisans and creatives. 

To read more about Temescal Alley, see The San Francisco Chronicle's recent article "Oakland's Hip and Vibrant Temescal Alley Takes Off.

One last thing, since our business is no longer located in the Claremont area of Oakland, we've decided to change our name.

Henceforth it will be "Walrus."

We have changed the blog title, and are working on changing our blog address to match.  Details to come!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Pallet Retrospective


  Oh the things you can do with the forlorn shipping pallet.


We added custom paint stains and casters to turn one into an outdoor coffee table.

And we designed an accordion style folding "living" gate with burlap pockets for plants and succulents.


We break them apart and reuse the wood for projects, like this table top for an upcycled desk.

We even used a piece of pallet as a stand for this rustic pewter candelabra. 

Befores and Afters



We thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane and show you some of the before and after photos of our many projects.  You might be shocked at how far these pieces have come!


Chalkboard Umbrella Stand

Side Table



 Shoe Rack Turned Girls' Dress-Up Stand



This rusty metal work bench had seen better days, but became a industrial-style desk a la Restoration Hardware with a lot of work.


A homely little chair with a missing spindle we fixed, painted, and reupholstered for a custom order.




We turned this motley grouping of ugly chairs into a trio of numbered chairs with a sense of humor.
 "Why was six afraid of seven?
"Because seven ate (eight) nine."



This mid-century white ceramic lamp was returned to its former glory after an unfortunate 80s era sponge paint incident.





So many of our pieces sell before we have a chance to post them and list them on Etsy.




Like this secretary we sold at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire recently.




We do a number of custom orders too.  

Like this hole-filled rustic table which was not working for a family with small children who need to color and eat off it.  With a lot of wood filler and paint, those tasks became easier for the family. 


This mission style rocking chair was also custom order.
 


Some of our work is done for one of Camille's decorating jobs, like these mismatched Ikea dressers.

These bright blue vintage bed frames got softened up a bit for the same room as above.



These nightstands were also a recent custom order for a couple of little boys.  Talk about big changes!






Another custom order was the old door turned chalkboard/coat rack.



Unfortunately, we often forget to take before pics and have to get a during shot when we remember.

Here's a "during pic" of an ugly oak dresser mirror which got transformed with some paint.


And very occasionally, we like something so much, we have to keep it for ourselves...

The power of a little labor and some paint never ceases to amaze!  
We love to give new life to old things.