Alternative Kitchen Innovations: An Upcycled Island for Your Cooking Space

We are so pleased to share a pictorial of our latest home innovation project!

Recently, one of our clients reached out to us in need of an alternative counter space in his new, yet surface-less kitchen. For a family that spends a large majority of their time cooking & feasting together, he expressed that a large and simultaneously centralized space was of utmost necessity. With only a basic idea of a fixture and it's use, he reached out to our team for concept, design and carpentry support.

Needless to say, we are so proud of the upcycled kitchen island we designed & built for our client and his family! After visiting our warehouse inventory, we decided to create an island with an antique dresser base, which provides not only ideal height, but loads of tucked away storage space. Additionally, we've resourcefully decorated the side areas of the dresser foundation with beautifully crafted branch & rebar hooks by local artisans Willa Mamet & Joe Karr of Bohemian Blacksmith. For the counter top, we upcycled the top of a old oak school desk, which we sanded, refinished and fine tuned in our offsite studio workshop. Project by Wendy and Coal from WALRUS with help from Asa Bartholomew.

Interested in the final product? We'll, voíla!

And finally, even their baby loved it! 

 Happy Holidays! We are supremely grateful to all our wonderful customers at WALRUS!

Walrus Treasures at Ruby's Garden!!

The Temescal District is full of so many great shops and restaurants, but one of our favorites is Ruby's Garden, a hip children's clothing store located at 5026 Telegraph. We recently got to partner with them sharing some of our kid-perfect upcycles and reinventions inside their shop! Here's a few pictures of the adorable pieces we have there but check out Ruby's Garden in person for great children's clothing sized from infant to eight years and a fun, playful dose of Walrus design!

 Two kids trays ($40 each): These adorable trays were painted in bright pink and have sturdy handles on both sides, making them perfect for setting up tea parties or effortlessly carrying the whole gang of toys around. One of these charming trays is painted with chalk paint so it can be used to share messages or draw!

grey and orange shelf unit with rounded side ($145): A fantastic piece for the corner of a room, it can house books, toys, stuffed animals or craft supplies. The orange offers an energetic burst of color that is ideal for an active kid's room!

(available through our etsy) 

glossy red windsor child's chair ($75): this fantastic glossy red chair was revived with a shiny coat of paint and sweet black circle accents to make it look like a ladybug. this piece would make a wonderful desk chair, seat for the dinner table or fun addition to the playroom!

 

vintage nightstand ($125): there is nothing more perfect and practical for your special kid than this upcycled nightstand with an antique handles. it can store and display your little one's favorite nighttime stories and before bed essentials in a chic and stylish way that would fit any room.

red display ladder ($70): a fantastic display ladder painted in a rich red that's perfect for the holidays. it can display blankets and textiles or simply add a beautiful wash of color to your space.

 small blue-green shelf with raw wood ($40): A sweet little display shelf that would be ideal for kids to show off their tiny toys or organize stickers and art supplies.

 olive toy shelf ($95): A dainty olive shelf that is perfect for displaying dolls and other toys. the piece of hemp rope on the top display adds an earthy and rustic touch. 

NOVEMBER at WALRUS!

We’ve got an incredibly busy November here at Walrus! Here’s what’s new and ongoing!

Thursday! Come Trick or Treat with the Temescal & Telegraph District. A fun, family-friendly event for kids and parents with treats, face paining, live music and more. The parade will start at 4 pm at La Calaca Loca on 51st and end around 6 pm at Ancient Ways on 41st. A costume contest will be held at Ruby’s Garden and participating shops along the way will be giving out all sorts of ghoulish goodies!

Friday! Join us for another fantastic First Friday Evening celebrating local art and talent! Our artist of the month is Suzanne Forrester who’s work is delicate and persistent. The artist describes herself: "Suzanne Forrester is a visual artist living on the border between here and there. Her work is mostly figural in nature and is concerned with matters of the heart. The paintings are women centered, intuitive and introspective. Pattern and repetition, likelihood and probability, are currently playing at the corners of her mind and inform this body of work.” You can check out some of her work here on our blog!

Sunday! We will be at the Alameda Antique Faire! Come join Wendy and Erin to explore some fantastic antiques and beautiful vintage clothes. The event will last from 6 am to 3 pm. Come visit us in booth I-9!

New at Walrus!

We’re so lucky to have such an amazing rotation of beautiful things and talented people in our world. New this month is Olivia Carter’s beautifully delicate paper crafts. This creative CCA graduate has a refined attention to detail and can create anything with paper. Come check out her hand embroidered notebooks in our shop or custom order one of her beautiful registries for a baby shower, wedding or new home!

Pendleton Pillows by Walrus! Pendleton Mills Fabrics are an American classic and their thick, warm wool is perfect as the cold season gets closer and closer! Here at walrus we upcycled these throw pillows from old Pendleton blankets. Their bold patterns and soft wool will add the perfect amount of warmth and character to any cozy living room.

Upcoming Event: Chair Upholstery with Wendy Renz! Join us on Sunday, November 17th from 3:00-5:30pm in the Temescal Alley for the first in a series of new product-focused workshops presented by Walrus. Chair Upholstery with Wendy Renz is the premiere onsite comprehensive course that supersedes our previous furniture painting workshops and will dive into the basics of chair upholstery in all it's glory. The event costs $40 and you can register here!

And Don't Forget! We now offer interior design services by Jenny Lane.